The case against trading Rudy Gobert: Replacement acclimation time
The major downside to getting a replacement for Gobert, if you can even find a suitable one like Turner, is the acclimation time. Training camps are set to start on December 1, reportedly.
Even if the Jazz could acquire a replacement for Gobert via a trade in mid-November, they’re going to have very little time to get to know the people, systems, and culture of the team before the season tips off, which will likely be something like December 22, according to recent reports.
NBA players more than ever have been accustomed to the changing nature of the day-to-day of being a professional athlete. A vast majority of the league willingly went to Orlando and holed up in hotels for months to complete the season. But there’s no way to simulate a new team other than time spent with them.
The Jazz and their Gobert replacement, should they decide to trade him, are going to have a rusty start, unfortunately. And with the likelihood of only 72 games on the schedule this year, every game matters that much more.