This offseason in the NBA has produced some blockbuster trades involving All-Star players. One of those All-Stars that were on the move was Rudy Gobert. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year was traded from Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves for an eyebrow-raising haul.
Minnesota traded Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler and four first-round picks to the Jazz in exchange for Gobert. All but one of the first-round picks are unprotected, as the one in 2029 is top-five protected. There will also be a pick swap in 2026.
That is an unprecedented trade package as the trade market has been reset this offseason. Dejounte Murray also fetched the San Antonio Spurs three unprotected first-round picks from the Atlanta Hawks. The Utah Jazz are looking to receive, at the bare minimum, what they did in exchange for Gobert in a deal centered around Donovan Mitchell and it has also impacted the negotiations the Brooklyn Nets have had involving Kevin Durant.
While Gobert is an impactful defender, that kind of haul is normally reserved for the best of the best. He is one of the best defenders the NBA has seen, but he doesn’t make much of an impact offensively at times.
That is something that Tracy McGrady touched on earlier in the summer. Before Rudy Gobert was traded to the Timberwolves, he was a topic of discussion on Fubo Sports with McGrady, Gilbert Arenas and Matt Barnes.
Tracy McGrady did not hold back in his assessment of Gobert. He questioned the offseason work that Gobert does, going in on his offensive repertoire.
“This is what I’ve been wondering, what the f— are you doing in the offseason?” McGrady said of Gobert. “Like, what is your workout?
“I was so mad at Rudy when they were playing against the [Houston] Rockets one year bro and Chris Paul was guarding him in the post. I was mad as s—. He couldn’t do nothing. Bro you’re 7’2″, and a point guard is guarding you. He had no moves.”
That is far from the first time that Gobert was exposed offensively in the postseason. The Jazz struggled mightily against smaller lineups because they wouldn’t take Gobert off the court. Having a perimeter-oriented offense limited the impact that Gobert had as a rim protector as he was drawn away from the paint.
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He was then unable to make up the difference offensively. Part of that was the scheme that the Utah Jazz ran, as Gobert wasn’t heavily involved on that end of the court. Mitchell actually averaged more turnovers per game than passes to Gobert, which highlights some of the disconnects the All-Star duo had.
Alas, if there is one team that may be able to overcome Gobert’s lack of offense it is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They can score on anyone; their issue was stopping opponents from doing the same. Gobert will help turn that around, providing them with a high floor and the best big man combination in the NBA alongside Karl-Anthony Towns.
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