Before the Luka Doncic blockbuster redefined the term "shocking trade" in sports, there was the summer of Rudy Gobert.
On July 1, 2022, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was on his way to Minnesota. And in return, the Timberwolves were trading away a smorgasbord of assets—almost an unprecedented package for an elite defensive player who wasn't much of a scorer. It was the first big move by new president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who was going all-in on boosting the Timberwolves' defense and bumping up the timeline around budding star Anthony Edwards.
