Windhorst: Wolves Players 'Shocked' by Rudy Gobert Trade; Pat Beverley Was 'Beloved'

Minnesota Timberwolves players were reportedly "shocked" by the team's blockbuster offseason trade to acquire All-Star center Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz.

In July, the Wolves dealt Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap to acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Minnesota's internal reaction to the trade Friday on The Hoop Collective podcast (24:15 mark of video).

"I talked to some of their guys," Windhorst said. "They expressed that they were shocked when that trade went down. That they had a euphoria about the season, winning that play-in opportunity, getting to the Memphis series and battling with the Grizzlies. And, like, they were assuming they were going to run it back. And the team had extended [Beverley], and Beverley was beloved on that roster. The players were kind of stunned. But as I pointed out, Rudy Gobert is pretty good, with all due respect to the guys they traded."

Judging by how the NBA offseason ground to the halt after that trade, the Wolves' locker room likely wasn't the only group stunned by the scope of the deal.

Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant requested a trade but, given the king's ransom Minnesota paid for Gobert, it was borderline impossible for another team to come up with an offer that would have been fair-market value for KD, who ultimately rescinded the request.

Fred Katz of The Athletic reported in late July the Gobert deal set the bar at an "objectively nonsensical" level and pushed the trade market toward a point where it "collapses in on itself," which is essentially what happened over the final two months of the summer.

Of course, if the trade allows Minnesota to emerge as a legitimate championship contender, the price it paid to acquire Gobert becomes far less of an issue.

The Timberwolves feature an intriguing projected lineup with Gobert joined by Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Kyle Anderson.

There are a couple key questions, though: Is it still possible to build a title-winning team on the foundation of post players, including an old-school center, and does the roster feature enough depth to overcome any injuries that may arise?

The team's new man in the middle expressed optimism about what the team can accomplish this season, especially at the defensive end, on Tuesday.

"There will be situations when I'm going to have to [switch], and I love to do it," Gobert said. "The more important thing is whatever we do, we're on the same page. We all understand the lineup that's on the floor, who we're playing against and we have our mind focused on that. If we do that, we can be a top defense in this league."

Minnesota is set to tip off the preseason Tuesday against the Miami Heat and will open the regular season Oct. 19 when it hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder.

For better or worse, the Wolves will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch in 2022-23.