Depending on what happens between the New York Knicks and Mitchell Robinson, the team could be on the market for a new starting center. The front office could fill that void through the draft, a trade, or free agency.
It’s no secret that the Utah Jazz could trade Donovan Mitchell and/or Rudy Gobert during the offseason, especially since Quin Snyder resigned last week. The Knicks have been linked to Mitchell, but not Gobert.
However, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that the Atlanta Hawks “could be the most natural trade partner” for the 3-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
After making it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020-21, the Hawks lost in the first round to the Miami Heat during the 2022 postseason. Atlanta didn’t have the season that many were hoping for, but 2022-23 could look a lot different for the Hawks if they trade for Gobert.
Knicks’ rival could trade for center Rudy Gobert during the offseason
Clint Capela has been Atlanta’s starting center for the past two years and he’s signed with the team through the 2024-25 season. In 2021-22, Capela averaged 11.1 points (the lowest for him since 2015-16), 11.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 74 games.
Fischer wrote that when Danny Ainge was with the Boston Celtics in 2019, they “held serious draft night trade discussions” about getting Capela. Ainge is now the CEO of the Jazz.
"There has been plenty of talk among league personnel that some combination of Capela, John Collins, Kevin Huerter and the No. 16 pick could be routed to Utah for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year."
Is Gobert going to be the starting center for Atlanta next year? It’d be amusing if somehow he ended up with the Hawks and Mitchell ended up with the Knicks. That’d be added fuel to the fire.
Gobert would help to elevate Atlanta to the level that it wants to be at, which obviously wouldn’t be a good thing for New York. The Knicks’ front office has other priorities that go above trading for him if he were to become available, even if Robinson leaves. But the hope should be that Gobert either stays in Utah or goes to another team in the Western Conference.
That is unless Mitchell requests a trade to New York. Yes, that might be a dream at this point, but it’s entertaining to think about. The Gobert-Mitchell rivalry would be epic.
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