After a brief two-year stint that found them in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Golden State Warriors find themselves back near the top of the Western Conference. They enter the postseason as the third seed and could be a dark horse team to make a run at the finals.
While many are focused on the upcoming playoffs, some are already zeroed in on the offseason. Debates have already begun to arise about which team is going to blow it up this summer.
Following a lackluster performance this season, some believe the Utah Jazz will be the next organization to make a seismic shift.
Depending on how things unfold this offseason, this might be the last run for the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert duo.
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Given how the league is perimeter-oriented now, Utah is more likely to hold on to Donovan Mitchell than Rudy Gobert in the event of a trade. There’s no telling what kind of market there would be for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, but an executive recently told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that the Warriors are a team to watch.
“If Rudy Gobert becomes available this summer, I think you’d find a lot of those veterans with the Warriors might want the team to make a run at him.”
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A deal of this sort could make a lot of sense for both sides. Gobert is a seamless fit in the Golden State Warriors’ style of offense and would instantly boost their ceiling on the defensive end. Pairing him with Draymond Green gives Golden State one of the best defensive duo’s in the league.
On the other side, the Warriors have a good batch of young players that might entice Utah as they prepare for the next phase of the franchise. Andrew Wiggins will likely be added in any potential deal for salary-matching purposes as well.
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With the big man slowly making a comeback in the NBA, Golden State would be smart to sniff around in the center market. Between the fit and possible trade chips, the Warriors should be among the favorites to land Rudy Gobert if the Utah Jazz do indeed decide to move him in the offseason.