NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls could target Rudy Gobert this offseason

Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert (Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports)
Utah Jazz Rudy Gobert (Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports) /
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NBA Rumors: According to a recent report, Rudy Gobert could emerge as an offseason target for the Chicago Bulls.

After fading toward the latter portion of the season, there’s no question that the Chicago Bulls will be heading into the offseason with some changes on their mind. Of course, they’ll have to figure out what that ultimately means for the team.

According to a recent report, however, one player that the team could target during the offseason is Rudy Gobert, who may or may not be available this offseason depending on how his situation with the team evolves.

"[via The Ringer]Sources have also indicated the Bulls are a team with interest in Gobert (and other centers on the market, including Knicks free agent Mitchell Robinson)."

Something that we can absolutely gather from this report is that the Bulls will likely be seeking a starting center. Per The Ringer, Mitchell Robinson is another option that Chicago could target. Robinson is more of a possibility considering that he’s a free agent.

Nikola Vucevic has been the starting center for the team over the past year and a half but hasn’t exactly panned out as the team expected. He’s on an expiring contract this offseason and could be used as a trade chip if the team ultimately decides it wants to move in a different direction at the position.

Considering that the Bulls could be interesting in Gobert and Robinson, that’s telling. Both of those are more defensive-minded centers – something that would be quite different from what Vucevic offers Chicago.

If nothing else, this report suggests that the Bulls are interested in improving their frontcourt defense. That’s a good sign for a team that finished the year in the bottom 10 in the league in defensive efficiency.

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Looking back at how the Bulls’ season all crumbled, improving their defense could go a long way in raising this team’s overall ceiling heading into next season.