According to an NBA rumor, the Dallas Mavericks front office had interest in trading for four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert during Luka Doncic’s stint with the Mavericks, a move that would have helped make up for Doncic’s defensive blind spots as well as created an elite pick-and-roll duo on the offensive end.
Obviously, the team addressed some of these needs by drafting Duke’s Dereck Lively II and trading for another traditional big in Daniel Gafford, but the potential duo of Gobert and Doncic is certainly a fun “what if” scenario when thinking about the structure of the old Dallas roster.
READ MORE: Former Mavs guard Luka Doncic may have been called out by Lakers’ JJ Redick
According to the podcast “The Hoop Collective,” with host Brian Windhorst, this move was heavily considered by the Mavericks brass. The front office talked about how Gobert’s skillset would help cover up some of the holes in Doncic’s game, as well as provide a lob threat on the offensive end. Windhorst and company had the following to say regarding Dallas’ involvement in the Gobert sweepstakes.
“When it was pretty obvious that [Rudy Gobert] wanted to spend his whole career in Utah, but when it was pretty obvious that might not be the way that thing was going that last year, Dallas was at the top of his kind of silent list of preferred destinations…and there was a time when Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison were both very interested in that idea.”
Of course, Gobert ended up in Minnesota, which sent a significantly bigger haul for the French defensive wizard than the Lakers sent for Luka Doncic; the Timberwolves sent Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to Walker Kessler, and four first-round draft picks.
If nothing else, this trade proves just how poorly Harrison managed the Doncic trade when comparing the impact both players can have and what was given up for each.
READ MORE: Mavericks linked with Lakers on trade to reunite Luka Doncic with $40 million center
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