The Minnesota Timberwolves entered the NBA offseason hoping to find a center that they could pair with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt. Given Towns’ unique skill set offensively, the team was determined to find a player that could help anchor their defense and protect the rim.
Well, they found their guy and there aren’t many players in the league better at protecting the rim than him. The Timberwolves have acquired three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz.
He will not come cheap, as Minnesota is parting ways with five players and multiple first-round picks. Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler and Jarred Vanderbilt are on their way to Salt Lake City. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN is also reporting that 2021 first-round pick Leandro Bolmaro is heading to the Jazz as well.
In addition to that, the Minnesota Timberwolves are sending four first-round picks to the Utah Jazz. Kessler was a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, so it is essentially five first-rounders that the Timberwolves are parting with.
The selections in 2023, 2025 and 2027 are all unprotected, while the 2029 pick is top-five protected.
This is a huge upgrade for the Minnesota frontcourt as Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive anchors in the NBA. While teams are trending away from the jumbo frontcourts, the Timberwolves are embracing it with two of the best big men in the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executives Monitoring Utah Jazz Potential Rebuild
The three-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Team member should be a good fit alongside Towns, who excels on the offensive end of the court but at times struggles defensively. With Beverley no longer on the roster, this could mean the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to retain D’Angelo Russell.
As for the Jazz, this is the second salvo in what could be a rebuilding offseason. On Thursday, they traded Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets for a 2023 first-round pick. Based on those returns, could there be another big move on the horizon?
It certainly feels like Utah, with Danny Ainge now a prominent figure in the front office, is ready to revamp the entire roster. It is what he did with the Boston Celtics when he took over and could very well be doing again here.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: NBA Executives Monitoring Utah Jazz Potential Rebuild
If that is the case, expect trade talks for Donovan Mitchell to pick up as well. The Jazz has dipped their toe into the rebuilding waters, they might as well dive in head first.
