Subscribe
Follow Us
There was a bombshell rumor that hit the NBA waves in the last few days, that the Toronto Raptors could look to trade OG Anunoby for Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. The NBA world reacted in all sorts of manners, but the most prevalent one was pure confusion. The Raptors did get a huge season from Scottie Barnes, but it was still odd to see them even entertain the idea of losing OG Anunoby, for whomever. To fully unpack this in the context of the Jazz center, here is the key reason why the Raptors shouldn't trade OG Anunoby for Rudy Gobert.
The reason why the Raptors must not trade Anunoby for Gobert
It does not make sense financially and basketball-wise
Rudy Gobert is a certified baller, there is no doubt about that. He is a double-double machine who has led the league in field goal percentage three out of the last four years. He has also led the league in rebounding and blocks once, while also being a three-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. His resume is huge, but so is his cost. The Raptors would be forced to pay Rudy Gobert $169 million in guaranteed money over the next four seasons. That is a ton of money regardless of circumstance, and when you factor in the circumstance, it gets even worse. Gobert is an issue in the playoffs, where he gets targeted and cannot be fully effective, and he is going to be 30 when next season starts and will end his contract being 34.
On the other hand, the Raptors have OG Anunoby, who has been a great player for them since being drafted as the 23rd pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Obviously, he struggled in the first year, even somewhat in the second year, but his rapid rise in the last three has been great. He was a key role player on the 2019 championship team and stepped up since, playing more minutes and taking more responsibility offensively. This season, he averaged 17.1 points, 5.5 boards, 1.5 steals and shot 14.5 shots per game, all career-highs. For all of that plus the defense Anunoby played which does not show up in the boxscore, the Raptors paid $16 million and that will be around his salary for the next three seasons. Anunoby is also 24 and has not even entered his prime.
Article Continues Below
From everything above, one could easily say that there is just no reason for the Raptors to make this trade. Effectively, they would be getting a bit bigger, get more rim protection, and get a guy that would be tough to play around in the postseason, for the cost of a young, budding player that still has room to grow. They would basically also increase their salary bill by around $25 million per season and they would basically cripple any chances of getting a big free agent, as they already have Pascal Siakam on a huge deal. All of that would be okay for a transformational player, like a Kawhi Leonard, but that is not Gobert. Financially, it is much smarter to develop Anunoby as a defender and an attacker for a smaller cost, and that is what the Raptors should do.
Now, one could argue that maybe the Raptors believe they are one Rudy Gobert away from competing in the Eastern Conference. That would be okay to think, but it is mostly wrong. The Raptors right now have a perfect blueprint of how to win – patience. Out of their current core, Siakam is 28, Fred VanVleet 28, Anunoby 24, Gary Trent Jr 23, and Scottie Barnes is 20. All of these are either young guns or just coming into their prime. What the Raptors should look to do is develop this talent and then attack the East when the competition thins. If they were to make this trade, it could still be salvageable in terms of keeping Scottie Barnes, but it still would not make any sense.
Also, with all due respect to Gobert, the Raptors simply must value their young forward more than this trade. Gobert is a great player, there is no doubt, but as a trade piece, he should not be in the same conversation as a player that still has a ton of room to grow. Gobert is a finished product and we all know what the Raptors are getting there if they pull the trigger on this deal, but Anunoby could have a career year next season and show them why he should be untouchable. Obviously, he can also lay an egg and play badly, but the most likely thing is that he will keep developing and having even more chemistry with the rest of his Raptors teammates.
All in all, the Raptors could look to make this deal because they see a four-time Defensive Player of the Year is suddenly available or because they feel like it is 2018 again and they need to make a move. However, when every aspect of the trade is considered, Rudy Gobert does not bring enough to the plate to make this a valuable trade. He is not a transitional superstar, he is not a player that will change the course of the franchise, nor is he a commercial star that will maybe sell more jerseys. He is a great player, but the potential of OG Anunoby should be valued more than what Gobert brings now.
