The mega-trade of Rudy Gobert is done and dusted. This was confirmed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are willing to pay a lot for the services of the French centre.
The Wolves confirmed that the 30-year-old will move from the Utah Jazz to Minnesota, where he will receive a five-year contract. This is worth a total of around 196 million euros. Gobert will form a strong big-man duo with All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, who signed a supermax extension of four more years and $224 million on Friday.
In return, the Wolves will give up draft rights to centre Walker Kessler, four first-round picks between 2023 and 2029, and four players Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt and Leandro Bolmaro to Salt Lake City. It’s the first major deal of Danny Ainge, who took over as CEO with the Jazz midway through the season and is now turning the franchise around in a big way. The rebuild in Salt Lake City, with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell likely to be at the centre of it, has begun.
So the Timberwolves, who made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2004, are going all-in for centre Gobert. The Frenchman has been named Defensive Player of the Year three times. Last season, he averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 66 games for the Jazz.
Gobert had already announced his departure from Salt Lake City over the weekend. “Utah!!! I was just a boy from France when I came here nine years ago, but I felt welcomed and supported from day one,” he wrote on Instagram. “I have grown as a man and as a player before your eyes and I am grateful for every single moment. Utah and its people will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you. The journey continues. “
