Should the Portland Trail Blazers trade for Rudy Gobert?

The Portland Trail Blazers 2019-20 season was not going well before COVID-19. Now, with a hopeful resumption soon, should they trade for Rudy Gobert?

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has the misfortune of having his name attached to why the NBA’s season was suspended. He was the first player diagnosed with COVID-19. He has been talked about as a trade piece due to his antics with Donovan Mitchell, who also tested positive. Should the Portland Trail Blazers show any interest in a possible trade?

Taking a look at Gobert, his stats and accomplishments read incredibly well. For his career, Gobert has averaged 11.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game. He has averaged a double-double for the last four seasons in a row.

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He is a one-time All-Star, earning the honor this season. He has been named to the All-Defensive team three times, has been All-NBA twice, and has won Defensive Player of the Year twice.

On top of this, Gobert led the league in blocks in the 2016-17 season with 2.6 per game. He also led the league in field goal percentage in the 2018-19 season, hitting 476 of 712 shots which is good for 66.9 percent from the floor.

However, Gobert’s greatest offensive strength is also his greatest weakness.  Gobert makes 39.4 percent of his total shots on dunks. Compare that to Hassan Whiteside who only makes 20.1 percent of his shots on dunks.

On top of this, Gobert took an incredible 81.0 percent of his total shots from within three feet of the rim. Even Whiteside, who has always been seen as a one-dimensional player only shot the ball 49.4 percent of the time from under three feet.

On the other end of the court, Gobert has been one of the most dominant presences this decade. He has been recognized with accolades which are well and truly due. However, while his numbers are good, Whiteside averages more blocks (2.4 vs 2.2) and rebounds (11.8 to 11.0) than Gobert.

On top of this, the Portland Trail Blazers are about to welcome back Jusuf Nurkic. The Bosnian Beast simply makes the Trail Blazers better when he is on the court. He has the ability to make the team more unpredictable with his play which helps his superstar guards perform better.

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While he is coming back from that horrific leg injury, Nurkic is still a competent rim-protector, averaging 1.3 blocks per game for his entire career. He has averaged 11.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game as well.

However, all statistics, especially basketball statistics, need to be given a context. In the two full seasons that Nurkic has played with the Trail Blazers, his assist numbers have varied greatly.  In his first season, he averaged 1.8 per game, the second season 3.2 per game.

While 1.4 assists per game may not seem to be a big difference, what it does do is create doubt in the mind of an opposition defense. When the ball goes into Gobert, it is likely he is taking to the rim. Nurkic can shoot the ball or pass it out players like Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

The next question is why the Trail Blazers would invest so heavily in a rental as Gobert’s contract is finished at the end of next season. He is due $26.5 million in the final year of his deal. Nurkic has a further year on his deal and is only due $12 million per year.

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Finally, there is the matter of Gobert’s antics. As we recall, there was the inappropriate manner in which he handled the coronavirus issue prior to being diagnosed. Since then it has come out how he behaved inappropriately with teammate Donovan Mitchell.

The Portland Trail Blazers trying to get back to the top of the NBA. They do not need the disruptive influence that Gobert appears to be, especially with what it would cost to get him. They would be much better served to try and re-sign Whiteside or even go to market for another pivot.