MINNEAPOLIS — Timberwolves President Tim Connelly has been on the job for less than two months, but he made one of the most seismic trades in recent franchise history Friday.
The Wolves dealt multiple players and multiple first-round picks to land one of the NBA's most effective defensive players in Rudy Gobert, a source with knowledge of the trade confirmed.
As part of the massive deal, the Wolves are sending Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, recent first-round pick Walker Kessler and four future first-round picks (unprotected 2023, 2025, 2027 picks, and a top-five protected pick in 2029) along with a pick swap in 2026.
One name that wasn't a part of the package was point guard D'Angelo Russell, who has been rumored to be on the trading block this offseason.
The Wolves wanted to bolster their frontcourt, and they did so in about as big a way as they could. Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, will be in the second year of a contract that pays him $205 million over five years and is signed through 2026.
He will now pair with Wolves center Karl-Anthony Towns in a modern twin towers lineup. The trade will slide Towns to power forward while Gobert will primarily handle rim protection, something he excels at perhaps better than anyone in the league.
Gobert has made six all-defensive first teams and three All-NBA teams. Last season he averaged 15.6 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Gobert led the league in rebounding while the Wolves were the third-worst team in defensive-rebounding percentage a season ago.
