An interesting NBA rumor claims to make up for their top player’s defensive deficiencies, the Dallas Mavericks seriously consider pairing Luka Doncic with Rudy Gobert.
While Luka Doncic is considered a top-five talent in the NBA, he has obvious flaws. The most notable being his defense. That is why general manager Nico Harrison drafted Derek Lively II and traded for Daniel Gafford last season to give their top star the safety valve on defense he badly needed. And the strategy worked as Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals last spring.
Well, before they added Lively and Gafford, it seems the Mavericks took a hard look at adding one of the best defensive big men of this generation.
“When it was pretty obvious that [Rudy Gobert] wanted to spend his whole career in Utah, but when it was pretty obvious that might not be the way that thing was going that last year, Dallas was at the top of his kind of silent list of preferred destinations,” the hosts of “The Hoop Collective” revealed. “And there was a time when Mark Cuban and Nico Harrison were both very interested in that idea.”
In the end, the Minnesota Timberwolves won the bidding war for the four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Sending Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Leandro Bolmaro. And the draft rights to Walker Kessler and four first-round draft picks (2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029) to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Gobert. The Frenchman has not been the same player he was in Utah. But he played a role in the Wolves reaching the West Finals last year and the semifinals this season.
The idea of pairing a talented big man and a gifted guard is something Harrison clearly likes. In the trade that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks landed future Hall-of-Famer Anthony Davis. So he can be paired up with fellow future HOFer Kyrie Irving.
More Dallas Mavericks news and rumors:
- Los Angeles Lakers coach’s veiled comment may have just vindicated Dallas Mavericks for trading Luka Doncic
- NBA rumor details notable rift created between Jason Kidd and Dallas Mavericks after Luka Doncic trade
- Dirk Nowitzki ‘completely turned off’ by Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrison after Luka Doncic trade
