The case for trading Rudy Gobert: You might be able to better your offense
Though I’m skeptical that this is a possibility, the Jazz could feasibly target a replacement for Rudy Gobert. I don’t think rim protectors of Gobert’s stature are available at a dime a dozen, but there are plenty of functional defensive centers out there that might be able to offer more on the offensive end. Beyond that, there are some All-Star caliber players the team should at least consider.
Gobert scores a perfectly fine 15 or so points per game over the last few years, but his offensive game is not anything like what jives with the NBA today. The Jazz were the most accurate 3-point shooting team in the league last season (38.0 percent) but attempted the 10th-most. If they could increase their attempted threes by just a few per game without sacrificing too much efficiency, it would make for a much more potent offense.
Now, with most players as you add more offense you’re probably going to give up some defense, especially when you’re talking about giving up a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.
There is one feasible candidate that fits this bill — Myles Turner, who was mentioned in plenty of trade rumors at this year’s deadline. With Domantas Sabonis filling into his shoes this year and getting named to his first All-Star team, it’s easy to see the potential redundancy in a starting lineup that includes both him and Turner.
Turner is not Gobert, but he’s actually quite close. He anchored the league’s third best defense in terms of points allowed per game (6th-best in terms of defensive rating).
Within six feet of the rim Turner forces opponents to shoot 62.0 percent from the field, a 10.9 percent ding on what they’re usually able to sink.
Turner also has a big thing that Gobert doesn’t — A willingness to shoot the three and a halfway decent shot from range. Taking 4.0 3-pointers per game this year, Turner sank 34.4 percent of those shots.
If you need a replacement for Gobert, Turner is as good as any given that he allows you to not sacrifice too much in the vein of rim protecting while giving you much more versatility on the offensive end. If you want him to be in the low post, he can do that. But if you want him to stretch the floor, he can make that happen as well.