Is former Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert washed up?

Is former Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert washed up?

The Utah Jazz made the right call to trade Rudy Gobert when they did. Not due to his apparent decline that was sudden and dramatic, but because he was making too much money and the team couldn’t really improve around him. So they traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a host of picks and Walker Kessler.

The move was brilliant at the moment but looks even better in the light of day months later. In fact, the narrative around Gobert is so bad right now, that Sports Illustrated is suggesting the Timberwolves trade Gobert again, this time time to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The trade proposal fromSI.com looks like this;

"Timberwolves: Davis Bertans, Victor Oladipo, Tre Mann and Aleksej PokusevskiThunder get: Rudy Gobert and a 2024 lottery-protected first"

Considering what the Timberwolves gave up, namely Kessler, this is a pathetic-looking return. Not only are you getting back nothing of note, aside from the prospect that Pokusevski could be good, but you have to give up yet another first-rounder to get it done? Yikes.

So the question has to be asked, if you have to attach a first-round pick to move Gobert, does that mean he’s washed?

Well, no. Granted, it’s not a good fit for Gobert, the Timberwolves were just 18th in points against, but that was still up six spots before Gobert arrived. Gobert also averaged a double-double every night, and of all the players to play 30+ games or more, was third on the team in defensive box plus-minus.

And while Raptor Stats may be dead thanks to corporate malarky, the fact is Gobert was still the highest-rated player on the T-Wolves team last year when it came to defensive excellence (among eligible players). Gobert is far from done, the narrative around him is just wrong and overblown. Sure, he’s not a good fit next to Karl-Anthony Townes.

Gobert can still give a team a viable, Defensive Player of the Year effort, he just has to be given a team that wants to use him properly; maybe an outfit like the New York Knicks.