Atlanta Hawks Receive: C Rudy Gobert, F Josh Hart
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F John Collins, F De’Andre Hunter, C Onyeka Onkongwu, F Jalen Johnson, 2025 First-Round Pick (UTA)
Utah Jazz Receive: G Damian Lillard
On completion of this deal, the Utah Jazz’s next move would have to be to go seek out quality perimeter defenders stat.
After all, lacking them was a major problem for this team in the 2021-22 postseason, and that was with Rudy Gobert manning the middle. Imagine how much they’d struggle with Gobert gone. Now, compound the issue by giving them potentially the worst defensive backcourt in the league.
On the other hand, they’d also have potentially the best offensive backcourt in the league following this trade. The Jazz could start Hassan Whiteside in Gobert’s absence, look to flip the suddenly expendable Mike Conley for a quality perimeter defender or two, and become a dangerous squad in 2022-23.
Meanwhile, the Blazers start their rebuild off with a platoon of quality players under 25 here. Collins is the most proven, but all four of the guys they’re landing here could be pivotal members of the next competitive Portland Trail Blazers team.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Major Trades To Send Utah Jazz Star Rudy Gobert To Hawks
Finally, the Hawks land a perfect pick-and-roll partner for Trae Young who happens to be the best rim protector in basketball. Nobody would see this deal coming, but with that said, it makes too much sense for all parties to rule out as a possibility.
