Utah Jazz: 3 potential trade destinations for Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert to the Boston Celtics?

I like this deal for Utah more than the previous trade, in that they end up with two guys in Smart and Langford who fit perfectly into Quin Snyder’s system. Marcus Smart, a gritty defensive player who was in the midst of the best offensive season of his career, would bring intensity, defensive leadership, and heat checks over to Utah, qualities that made him a fan-favorite with the Boston Celtics.

Langford, a 6’4″ rookie wing who showed flashes of improvement on both sides of the ball as the season progressed, is another quality addition for Utah. Down the stretch of the season, the 20-year-old Langford was closing games out for Boston, and was earning the trust and respect of all-star coach Brad Stevens. If the NBA playoffs get canceled this season, it’d be a shame for a player like Langford to not get that early career exposure, but I’d expect him to find similar success in Utah.

Rudy Gobert to Boston makes everything a bit more interesting. For Gobert, while many believe that Boston’s missing piece isn’t a center, the thought of his defensive prowess in a Brad Stevens’ system is exciting for all basketball junkies. As for Boston in the short-term, sliding Gobert into a lineup with Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward puts them in any discussion for best team in the Eastern Conference.

The bigger issues that arise are, would Gobert sign an extension in Boston? And even more importantly, would Boston elect to extend Gobert?

While there are no answers to these questions, there’s an argument to be made that this deal could be worth it for Boston even with Gobert on a one year rental. In the past, GM Danny Ainge has elected to hold onto assets instead of trading them for a blue-chip player to contend for a championship.

Whether it was Jimmy Butler, Paul George or Anthony Davis, Ainge always felt that the risk outweighed the benefits to go all-in. However, following Boston’s disappointing 2019 campaign, Ainge admitted some regret in pooling too many assets and not being more aggressive.

While some may argue that Rudy Gobert isn’t the star Boston’s missing, the opportunity might be too good to pass up if they can land a two-time Defensive Player of the Year without parting with Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. Also, with Gordon Hayward’s hefty contract coming off the books following the 2021 season, it opens the possibility for a Gobert extension.