The Timberwolves are adding the NBA’s best defensive center to pair with stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. After a few days of rumors of a move, the Jazz are sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
In return, Utah will receive Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 draftee Walker Kessler and multiple first round picks, Wojnarowski says. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports that the Jazz will received three unprotected first rounders (2023, ’25, ’27), a top five protected pick in ’29, and a pick swap in ’26.
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Gobert is entering his second year of a five-year, $205 million deal.
The seven-footer is a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and has four total All-NBA teams and three All-Star Games to his name. He led the league in blocks in 2016–17, and rebounds in 2021–22.
He averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season.
The move may mark two franchises heading in opposite directions. The Jazz fell in six games to the Mavericks in the first-round of the playoffs, after reaching the conference semifinals the year before. The Timberwolves reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and fell in a competitive six-game series to the Grizzlies in the first round.
