Rudy Gobert Trade to Timberwolves Shocks NBA Twitter; Jazz Praised for Return
July 1, 2022
The Utah Jazz have moved on from star big man Rudy Gobert, sending him to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal on Friday in exchange for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler and four first-round picks, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
While Gobert had been included in trade rumors all offseason, his move to Minnesota was shocking to many fans around the NBA.
That said, the Jazz were praised for their absolute haul of a return. While the individual players included in the deal aren't the best, the whopping four first-round picks, one of which is top-five protected in 2029, will be a game-changer for Utah in the future.
ππΎπππ @TheyLuvHuddJazz lowkey won this trade they are getting a lot of value for Gobert who is good but they are also getting decent players and a haul of picks in return. For the wolves it doesn't make much sense to me why they would dump off all their picks and decent players for a bench center <a href="https://t.co/FwLhUtOoh8">https://t.co/FwLhUtOoh8</a>
Michael Fiddle @mfiddle14Danny Ainge dials up the new ownership and gives them a star in return for all draft captial. EXACTLY what he did to Nets and Proky when they moved to Bk.<br><br>Jazz just FLEECED the Wolves. <br><br>I dont understand the Gobert/Towns combo. Dejounte was available for less and fits better
SportsComedyHipHop @SuperDopeHipHopI actually like this for Jazz. Vanderbilt Beverly Kessler all good defensive players in return + Beasley off bench, but 3 unprotected 1s 2023/25/27, swap in 26 and top5 protected 2029 1 is a ton for Gobert who struggles vs modern day small 3 ball NBA lineups. <a href="https://t.co/imwQGLgqgQ">https://t.co/imwQGLgqgQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/F3g6DUS9B2">pic.twitter.com/F3g6DUS9B2</a>
Mike Kennedy @MikeKennedyNFLDanny Ainge did it again though.<br><br>Would you believe the Jazz just got more picks and better players in return for Rudy Gobert than the Celtics did for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in 2013?<br><br>You know, that trade that famously set Boston up to where they are today?
Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, was always going to command a hefty return, but not many believed the Jazz would be able to snag four first-round picks for the veteran, in addition to a number of roster players.
That said, Minnesota's lineup could be one of the best in the NBA in 2022-23 with Gobert, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and D'Angelo Russell set to take the floor together.
The Timberwolves possibly felt like they needed to make this trade in order to compete against the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns in an increasingly difficult Western Conference.
Pairing Gobert with Towns will undoubtedly make the franchise a contender in 2022-23 and beyond. The 30-year-old averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game last season for a Utah team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
In 2022-23, Gobert and the Timberwolves will be a serious threat to make a deep playoff run.
As for Utah, it seems more and more likely the franchise is headed for a rebuild, though Wojnarowski reported the team plans to retool the roster around Donovan Mitchell. However, if the Jazz also end up trading Mitchell, it will be clear that the franchise wants to start anew.