The Timberwolves‘ trade for Rudy Gobert was perhaps the NBA’s biggest blockbuster this summer, shocking league executives due to the price Minnesota was willing to pay. The move also surprised the Wolves’ own players, who were caught off guard that so many of the team’s most well-liked players – including Patrick Beverley – were included in the deal, Brian Windhorst writes in an Insider-only ESPN story.
“It wasn’t that it put us in a bad mood,” forward Taurean Prince said, “but, uh, we were surprised.”
As Windhorst outlines, the Wolves recognized that players like Gobert – a three-time Defensive Player of the Year on a long-term contract – don’t become available often, and believed he would make the team’s current core players better. On top of that, Minnesota didn’t have to give up any of those core players – Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell, and Jaden McDaniels – to acquire Gobert.
“We put up the 30 best players in the league on a board,” head coach Chris Finch said. “At any given time, like there’s maybe three or four of them available. Some aren’t even available if you gave 10 picks. And if you have one you can get and he fits and does a lot of the things that we like — the more that we looked at it and the deeper we went, like just the more we felt like we couldn’t not (trade for him).”
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Towns and Gobert are expected to be active together for the first time in Friday’s preseason finale, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Towns’ preseason debut was delayed by a non-COVID illness, while Gobert has rested in the Wolves’ two most recent preseason contests.
- The Timberwolves will need some time to figure out how Towns and Gobert work together, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who suspects it will take another year for the best version of this team to show up. Hollinger expects the Wolves to take a small step forward in 2022/23, projecting 47 wins and a seventh-place finish in the West.
- In a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, Gobert spoke about his first impressions of his new NBA home, establishing chemistry with his new teammates, and much more.
- Wolves coach Chris Finch likes what Luka Garza has brought to the team this fall, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “He’s the perfect system fit for us. Great acquisition by our front office,” Finch said. “He’s a guy I think can really grow into our system here. He can stretch the floor and he can score around the basket. That’s a great combo. Not a lot of bigs can do that.” Garza is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract, so it’s unclear if Minnesota plans to keep him on its 17-man roster to open the regular season.
Not going to work. Rudy nor KAT can move well enough to play together. Its a dumb move to put all your money in the same position. Its not like Minny gave up much. Except picks. I just don’t see this working.
Gobert moves better then people give him credit for. Most people judge on him on that one playoff series against the Clippers where he was being asked to guard 2 people and the rim at the same time as both Conley and Mitchell were both playing injured and had limited lateral movement.
What do people mean when they say it’s not going to work? They won’t win a championship? They’ll be the worst team in the league?
They replaced Vanderbilt, a solid defender, with the best defensive big in decades. Towns and Gobert is a better defensive front court than Vanderbilt and Towns was.
They don’t need Towns to be a lock down defender as a 4. He needs to avoid foul trouble which will be a lot easier when he’s not sitting under the rim the whole game, foiling guys trying to block shots.
The Wolves are a better team. And as you said they didn’t give up as much as people seem to suggest, a bunch of 7th men. Even the picks aren’t great unless they have tons of injuries.
But what does it won’t work mean? To me the only way it “doesn’t work” is if they miss the playoffs, and it seems much more likely they’ll be a top 4 seed than a non playoff team.
It’s NOT gonna work.
Minnesota traded their two best defensive players in Vanderbilt and Beverley for Gobert. KAT can shoot 3s, but he ain’t no 4 on defense in this NBA. Massive defensive downgrade. Gobert and KAT will not be able to play together when opponents go to small ball.
Minnesota is lacking shooters. They also lack depth because of all the players they traded to Utah. Malik Beasley is a shooter they could really use off the bench.
It seems to me is all that Minnesota really wanted was to add some rim protection that KAT doesn’t provide. Plenty of much cheaper options were available on the market.
Minnesota talks about Gobert like they acquired one of the Top 10 players in the league. He ain’t even close to anything like that. He is a good defensive rim protector, but nobody “fears” Rudy Gobert in the paint. Westbrook put him in the basket last year on a dunk! Who exactly did he “lockdown” the past two years in the playoffs when Utah flopped badly???? Minnesota thinks they are gonna get something different?????
@Barry Minnesota traded their two best defensive players for the best defensive big in the game. If Beverly and Vanderbilt are your two best defensive players you definitely need an upgrade on that end. Kat doesn’t have to be a great defender at the 4, he’ll just take on the lesser offensive big.
“We put up the 30 best players in the league on a board,” head coach Chris Finch said. So, no they aren’t talking like they acquired one of the Top 10 players in the league.
Everybody fears Gobert in the paint! Teams change their entire offensive game plan, once in a while someone like Russ or Morant get a dunk on him but 7 times out of 10 they throw up a weak floater, pass it back out, miss horribly or get their shot blocked.
No matter how bad you seem to want them too, not every team in the league is going to suck.
Sure, they traded shooters. They also signed even better ones than they traded.
Garza and Forbes can SHOOT!
KAT played the 4 most all of last year and the Wolves had a top 15 defense. They swapped Vando for a HOF C who is also far better offensively. Keep your uninformed takes to yourself Barry.
What 4 is going to be a matchup problem?
Bev is a loss but he’s also 34, Jaden will be a far better defensive player than Bev this year. He’s 6’10 and can guard 1-4 and be a weak side shot blocker. Also SloMo is a really good defender that can guard 2-4.
Forbes is a career 40+% shooter to replace Beas. Again you don’t know much about the Wolves and should probly just stay quiet on the issue. Nowell + Forbes if a going to be way better and more versatile as a bench scoring punch.
Top 10 no but yes clearly top 30. I’ll take Finch and his knowledge over your know nothing.
Only a true clown would say adding a 3 time DPOY is a massive downgrade. Lol at all your takes Barry.
Yes, and let’s not forget how trading Bev could help Jordan McLaughlin get established. He is a very effective guy to have on the roster.
Even after giving up all those assets in the Gobert trade, this roster is still very DEEP!
I think it will work out better than asking Jalen Brunson to be their best player, Alex.
It’s going to “work” better than anything the Knicks have done in 30 years.
Wolves won’t miss Beasley and esp Beverly at all ! They where neat and cute and all to have for the twolves but they don’t really matter to winning going forward for anyone
And Beverly gets little to no credit from me as a lakers fan for what happened with wolves ! Last year wolves made playoffs bc their young guys take a step Beverly was just a guy along for the ride like Beasley
You weren’t watching then. He was huge, on and off the court. I couldn’t stand him before he became a wolf. I bet you’ll love him by December.
Off the court maybe ! On the court he was a 33 year old shell of his good days who struggles to stay healthy !
Lakers won’t win a lick more then if they didn’t have him and that’s a fact ! They where a play in team before him they are a play in team or worse with him now
Bev is awesome but nobody can save the Lebrons. He wrecks every team when he tires to be the GM.
Your grammar is brutal and your comment is brutally wrong
I’m a lakers fan that doesn’t have to overstate what guys like Beverly (wolves ) or jta ( warriors ) meant to good teams last year ! They where bit players whose teams won’t lose a thing without them and they won’t the team I root for win anymore games then if they didn’t have them and that’s just a fact !
Really???? Minnesota doesn’t need shooting??? Defense???? Leadership???? Beverley was central to their success last year.
Need shooting…lol ok.
Gobert and SloMo are the only rotation players on the squad who aren’t above average shooters in their roles.
Defense- replaced Vando with Rudy.
Replaced 34yo Bev with SloMo and Jaden McDaniels.
I don’t think you have a clue about the Wolves roster or coach. You think Rudy isn’t good bc he got dunked on. That’s what happens in the NBA when you challenge every single paint shot. Ever seen Mutombo or Alonzo get dunked on? Keep watching ESPN for your takes. Sound like a knock off Skip Bayless.
Wolves gonna ride to 50+ wins easy and all it cost was depth guys who’ve been replaced or upgraded on and some late picks.
Wolves are going to be better at every single position 1-15 than anything the Jazz have ever put next to Rudy plus a better coach.
Yes again it’s just fact the wolves won’t miss Beverly and my lakers will wish they never had him