It is well known that the Los Angeles Lakers are desperate for a starting center. The question is just how desperate are they? Now that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been eliminated from the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season, some have wondered if Rudy Gobert will be put on the trade block. The Timberwolves are no stranger to blockbuster deals, evidenced by their trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo that involved Karl-Anthony Towns last season.
Gobert is arguably the best center that the Lakers could trade for, but it could cost them Austin Reaves. Reaves has been mentioned in trade rumors leading up to the offseason, but he still had a breakout campaign this year, and trading him wouldn’t be easy.
The Lakers fleeced the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the NBA trade deadline when they moved Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic. The Slovenian guard should be one of the best players in the NBA for the next decade-plus, whereas Davis, while talented, is past his prime and has struggled with injuries in recent years.
Despite how great that trade was for Los Angeles, it left the team without much center depth. They were forced to play Jaxson Hayes, a career backup, and forwards such as Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt at the 5-spot during the playoffs. Ultimately, it led to their elimination in the first round against the Timberwolves.
Doing business with the team that just bested them in the playoffs wouldn’t be easy for the Lakers, but there might not be a better center option available, and LA needs to maximize LeBron James’ time in the league alongside Doncic before he retires.
Gobert has notably declined, evidenced by a 1.4 block per game average this past season. That mark was tied for Gobert’s worst since his rookie year. He is also incredibly limited on offense when it comes to his post-up game, ball-handling skills, and jump shot.
Even so, Gobert is still an elite defensive player. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year is still one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. Ultimately, the Lakers just need a big body who can take up space down low and collect rebounds.
Sacrificing Reaves for this role would be a tough pill for the Lakers to swallow. After all, the former undrafted guard broke out to the way of 20.2 points per game this past season. Reaves is arguably a better player than Gobert at this point, and he is certainly on a better trajectory. LA might just be desperate enough to consider this trade, though.
The Timberwolves have seemingly hit a wall, as they’ve lost in the Western Conference Finals in two straight seasons. It will be hard to get past that wall because the team will most likely get worse this offseason. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent, and Naz Reid and Julius Randle have player options on their contracts.
While Minnesota wants to bring back all of them, Alexander-Walker and Reid, in particular, seem destined to chase a bag on the open market. Trading Gobert would make bringing back one or more of those impending free agents easier. Reid seems hesitant about returning in a sixth-man role.
