The Chicago Bulls have a huge offseason ahead of them. Priority number one would be to keep Zach LaVine as he enters unrestricted free agency. But part and parcel of that is ensuring that the team around him is one worthy of committing long-term to. Could a swing for Rudy Gobert do the trick?
According to Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Bulls have emerged as one of the potential suitors for the defensive anchor of the Utah Jazz. Gobert is also reportedly being pursued by the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
In any deal for Rudy Gobert, it reportedly goes without saying that Nikola Vucevic would be part of the package in exchange for him. Both are centers on big-money deals and would replace each other's spots on their respective teams once swapped. The Jazz likely will get better offers than simply switching up to Vucevic, but the Bulls do have a sweetener in prized youngster Patrick Williams.
Vucevic-for-Gobert seems to make more sense for Chicago, in the Bulls' efforts to fortify a defensive attack around LaVine. And while Vucevic is generally considered a net negative on the defensive end, the popular package that's been mentioned by league executives of Vucevic and second-year forward Patrick Williams would introduce the perimeter defender the Jazz have long been said to covet.
With Rudy Gobert, the Utah Jazz have had some strong defensive seasons. But with the NBA trending to a largely perimeter-based offensive attack, being able to defend the Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic types of the world is top priority. Getting a guy like Patrick Williams, who has elite defensive potential, could be a huge get along with a former All-Star in Nikola Vucevic, who could probably use a change of scenery.
It's reportedly still unclear how inclined the Bulls are to including Patrick Williams in a said Gobert deal, but it could be the trump card they'd need to get it done.
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