Rudy Gobert

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Timberwolves have acquired three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in a blockbuster deal with the ...

Wojnarowski added that the Jazz will receive four first-round picks and a pick swap, as well as forward Leandro Balmaro in the deal. Gobert's fit in Minnesota is interesting, to say the least. The excitement continued on Friday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported a blockbuster trade between the Jazz and Timberwolves that will send three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to Minnesota in return for a handful of players and massive draft capital.

Minnesota is sending its 2023, 2025 and 2027 picks unprotected and a top-5-protected 2029 pick to Utah in exchange for Rudy Gobert, sources told ESPN.

Beasley wished the Wolves well in a tweet following news of the trade before promising to help take the Jazz to the playoffs. Rim protection has been Minnesota's most glaring weakness, as the Timberwolves allowed opponents to shoot 66.9% at the basket last season, ranking 25th in the league, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. It was only the second playoff appearance of Towns' seven-year career, and Minnesota has yet to advance past the first round during his tenure. The 7-foot Frenchman is one of the most decorated players in Jazz history, with three Defensive Player of the Year awards, three All-Star appearances, four All-NBA selections and six first-team All-Defensive selections. Gobert is entering the second season of a five-year, $205 million contract. The Timberwolves will send Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, No. 22 pick Walker Kessler and four first-round picks to the Jazz, sources said.

Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

Utah will likely find its way to a Mitchell trade eventually, and even if it doesn't happen at the peak of his value, it is going to net the Jazz a solid return. Eight? How badly do the Knicks want to bring him back home to New York? How much could the Jazz extract from a Miami team that came one win short of the Finals? Those six first-round picks the Jazz have added over the past few days could easily balloon to double digits with the right Mitchell deal, and perhaps more importantly, the Jazz could embrace a rebuild in earnest. The theoretical benefit of adding Gobert is that it takes a defense that was ranked 13th last season and gives it a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The problem he encountered with the Jazz was that the perimeter defenders in front of him were so bad at containing dribble-penetration that he simply couldn't abandon the basket to defend a shooter in the corner. For now, the Jazz are stuck in that dreaded middle ground: too good to tank, too bad to contend. You never know what was or was not on the table to Minnesota before it made this trade, but it's worth asking if a similar path was available. When you give up several useful role players and four first-round picks (five if you include Kessler, whom the Jazz just took in the first round) to land a player, you do it for one of two reasons. If they could get four first-rounders for Gobert, they'd likely be able to fetch even more for the younger Mitchell, and moving him now would have the added benefit of positioning the Jazz to potentially land one of the top picks in the loaded 2023 NBA Draft. Headlining that class is another French center, Victor Wembanyama, who has been compared to Gobert defensively, but has a much more diverse game offensively. This trade probably isn't going to help the Timberwolves win a championship in the future. Gobert is a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and is widely considered the league's best rim protector. The Jazz have been a consistent playoff team with Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, but after a first-round flameout against the Dallas Mavericks, it became clear that change was needed. The Utah Jazz are trading Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a six-player deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Minnesota is sending Utah Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Leandro Bolmaro, Jarred Vanderbilt and four first-round picks for the All-Star center.

The Utah Jazz are trading star big man Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Gobert, 30, was long-rumored to be ...

The Pacers, though, were interested in Boston forward Grant Williams, who played an integral role in their finals run, according to a separate report by Bleacher Report. The Celtics moved to the favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the NBA title next season, following news of the Brogdon deal. The Celtics are wasting no time making moves after making an NBA Finals run this past season for the first time in over a decade. The Celtics reportedly wanted to land a “true playmaking point guard,” and were able to do so without sacrificing a core player. The New York native was long rumored to be disgruntled with Gobert, dating back to the Frenchman’s central role in the NBA’s COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, among other gripes. According to Wojnarowski, the Jazz plan to retool their roster around Donovan Mitchell. Long a target of the Knicks’ affection, it appears Utah may not have any interest in dealing their other All-Star.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting Friday that the Minnesota Timberwolves have traded for Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

They are also swapping first-round picks with the Jazz in 2026. Wojnarowski says the Wolves are also giving the Jazz four future first-round picks, with Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reporting those picks to be unprotected first rounders in 2023, 2025, 2027 and a top-five protected first rounder in 2029. "The Timberwolves are sending Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and multiple first-round picks for Gobert, sources tell ESPN," Wojnarowski said, adding that Minnesota is also giving Utah Leandro Bolmaro.

The Minnesota Timberwolves just acquired Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz, but did they give up too much? That's the important question.

They’re probably a darkhorse threat to make it all the way to the Finals should things go well. There are more questions about the Wolves than answers when it comes to this trade. Gobert to the Timberwolves shakes things up quite a bit in the Western Conference. The mid-2010s Brooklyn Nets are a cautionary tale for a reason. But if they wanted to just tear it down to the studs and build anew, they can do that, too. And the thing about it is there’s plenty more to come.

Twitter went into a frenzy after the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly acquired Rudy Gobert in a blockbuster deal with the Utah Jazz.

Following the bombshell trade news, users once again started to roast Gobert and the Timberwolves: The Jazz will also be adding four (FOUR!) first-round draft picks: 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029. The first three are unprotected and the 2029 selection is top-five protected.

The Timberwolves are thinking Twin Towers for the Twin Cities, Towns finds a way to stay AND move, plus more from a massive deal.

But will it be enough in a daunting Western Conference? The Warriors, Suns, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Clippers and maybe the Mavericks look as good or better than they were, at least on paper. Which is to say, this trade frees him up from the heavy lifting of defending and scoring in the paint. The proverbial three-legged stool of drafts, trades and free agency teeters mostly on two, with few players choosing the Wolves as a destination market. He’s a willing passer, too, and in Gobert now has a big target near the rim. Truth be told, they probably should have beaten the Grizzlies, if not for inexperience gumming up their finishes in close games. Taurean Prince re-upped when the free agency bell rang, and the Wolves picked up Memphis forward Kyle Anderson as a versatile helper. Of course, Quin Snyder exiting as head coach from a team he’d led to 108 games over .500 over the past six seasons was white smoke enough to indicate boss Danny Ainge’s thinking. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota’s exuberant, explosive wing, looms large in the franchise’s future for his raw athletic ability and repertoire of highlight-ready moves. This trade means they’ll be relying mostly on one for the foreseeable future. The pertinent number next season will be $72 million, with Gobert pulling down $38.2 million and Towns $33.8 million. Just the two of them. With the Stifle Tower reportedly being relocated from Salt Lake to the Twin Cities, here are five takeaways on the potential Rudy Gobert trade.

The NBA world took notice of Rudy Gobert's trade to Minnesota, with players and personalities letting their thoughts be known.

For the Wolves, Friday's deal signifies their intention to compete. Longtime coach Quin Snyder left after the season. The NBA is moving at a million miles a minute early this offseason.

The Jazz are trading three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves in a deal that involves six players and several first-round ...

Gobert has a player option for the 2025-26 season. In 2020, Beasley signed a four-year, $60 million deal. The final draft pick that Minnesota conveys to Utah in 2029 is top-five protected.

The Jazz have agreed to trade Rudy Gobert a three-time defensive player of the year to the Timberwolves for a massive package of players and draft picks.

Danilo Gallinari, according to a person familiar with his decision, intends to sign a two-year deal with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics – once his waiving by the San Antonio Spurs is completed. Indeed, it is a slew of assets for the Jazz, who made the playoffs in each of the last six seasons and now seem to be resetting in multiple ways. Gallinari was sent to San Antonio this week in a trade that brought All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta. And now, Gobert leaves, officially ending his pairing with guard Donovan Mitchell in Utah an on-court relationship that seemed really good at times, and strained at other moments. The Jazz have agreed to trade Rudy Gobert a three-time defensive player of the year to the Timberwolves for a massive package of players and draft picks, according to a person with knowledge of the blockbuster deal. Utah will receive four first-round picks between 2023 and 2029, a first-round pick from this year’s draft in Walker Kessler, along with Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley, according to the person who spoke to the Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the NBA had not approved the deal and neither team could announce it publicly.

The Timberwolves pulled off the blockbuster of the NBA offseason thus far, striking a deal with the Jazz to land All-Star center Rudy Gobert.

While Edwards comments are likely rooted in his confidence that he can compete with any player in the league, his remarks will probably take some explaining to his new teammate. Following a loss last December to the Jazz, in which Utah stifled Minnesota’s high octane offense, Edwards did his best to offer an explanation for his team’s lackluster performance. So like, I don’t get why we couldn’t finish on Rudy Gobert… he don’t put no fear in my heart.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a seismic move on Friday, acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for five players and four future first-round ...

"Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets giving up a series of draft picks to acquire James Harden and Russell Westbrook, respectively, backfired when neither player lasted long in his new home. "It started out innocently enough with Gobert, but the inclusion of the four firsts was scream-inducing," Nadkarni wrote. Walker, of course, was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1988 for what turned into two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, and a fourth-round pick. "It's remarkable another team was willing to make a trade like this given how poorly the past few seem to be working out," Pelton wrote. Utah also has the option to swap picks in the 2026 draft, making some fear that Connelly just traded for the hardwood version of Herschel Walker. The Minnesota Timberwolves made a seismic move on Friday, acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for five players and four future first-round draft picks.