NBA Trade Rumors: The Dallas Mavericks are unlikely to push hard for Rudy Gobert this offseason if he is shopped.
Luka Doncic finally made it out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs and it nearly resulted in an NBA Finals appearance for the Dallas Mavericks. It was a strong next step for the franchise overall as they head into the offseason with some big decisions to make.
Dallas needs to figure out how to improve their roster around Luka and they will have options this offseason. Of course, much of how they operate this offseason will depend on what they do with Jalen Brunson, who is a free agent this offseason.
Apart from that, the Mavs will likely be looking to find an additional star to place next to Luka. One potential option that Dallas has been linked to is Rudy Gobert, who is fighting through his own reported issues with the Utah Jazz.
He may or may not be available this offseason. However, according to a recent report, Dallas may not be making the full-court effort to land Gobert even if he is shopped this offseason (per Marc Stein).
Gobert would be a natural fit next to Luka and they’d create of the league’s best 1-2 punches, but it seems that perhaps the Mavs are racing to pay Gobert max money – he’s due nearly $170 million over the next four years.
In order to take on a contract like that, the Mavs would have to be 100 percent sure that he’d help this team win a championship. Quite frankly, even if the Mavs would be able to figure out how to keep this supporting cast intact, along with re-signing Brunson, and inking Gobert, I’m not sure this is a championship roster.
The Mavs have such a good thing going with Luka that they can’t afford to make a bad mistake that will send the franchise back a few years. Their championship window is open. They can cement that will smart moves this offseason.