5 teams that can make an intriguing offer for Rudy Gobert

2. Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets fired coach James Borrego, signaling that (right or wrong) expectations are high after losing in blowout fashion back-to-back years in a play-in game. An attempt to shakeup the roster, with really no untouchables this side of LaMelo Ball, could be coming too (surely with some influence from whoever the new head coach is).

Let’s cut right to chase with this one and get to Charlotte’s possible trade offer for Gobert

Hornets Get: C Rudy Gobert, PG Mike Conley
Jazz Get: F/G Gordon Hayward, SG Terry Rozier, C Mason Plumlee, future first-round pick

Hayward of course started his career with the Jazz, before signing a big contract with the Boston Celtics and suffering a major injury early in his first game there. A sign-and-trade in 2020 sent him to the Hornets, and he played just 49 games this season. Returning to Utah might be something he’d like, and he feels like a good fit alongside Mitchell. Keep in mind Danny Ainge, the long-time Celtics’ lead executive who signed Hayward in Boston, now has the title of CEO with the Jazz. And the Hornets can use his contract to get toward matching Gobert’s salary.

Plumlee would be a veteran body to fill some of the the void left by Gobert in Utah. Rozier is a legit 18-20 point per game scorer and an above-average 3-point shooter who’d give the Jazz a nice complement to Mitchell.

Different versions of a Hornets-Jazz deal for Gobert could look like this:

Royce O’Neale going to Charlotte with Gobert instead of Conley, and Kelly Oubre taking the place of Rozier.

P.J. Washington going to Utah, with Rozier and Hayward, for Gobert and O’Neale.

A layer has been added to any interest the Hornets may have in Gobert. NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have both suggested Jazz head coach Quin Snyder is a name to keep an eye on in Charlotte’s coaching search. He has one guaranteed year left on his contract in Utah, and worked as a Lakers’ assistant when Hornets’ president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak was there. Snyder would have inside knowledge on Gobert, and if he ended up as Hornets’ coach it’s possible he’d endorse a move to get “The Stifle Tower.”