NBA off-season 2022: Minnesota Timberwolves acquire Rudy Gobert in blockbuster trade
Rudy Gobert was acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2022 NBA off-season.
FollowThe Minnesota Timberwolves added three-time Defensive Player of the year, Rudy Gobert. He came in exchange for a loaded package that included Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, No. 22 pick Walker Kessler and four first-round picks to the Utah Jazz. While Gobert being traded was far from a surprise, the destination of Minnesota was surprising given the team already has all-star big-man Karl-Anthony Towns. However, Timberwolves president Tim Connelly, who was recently hired away from the Denver Nuggets after building that franchise into a perennial Playoffs team, has been determined to acquire a rim-protecting center to play next to Towns.
Gobert, 30, has spent his entire nine-year career in Utah, developing from a lanky project before being drafted with the No. 27 pick into a perennial All-Star who has been a franchise cornerstone for a team that has six consecutive Playoffs appearances. The seven-foot Frenchman is one of the most decorated players in Jazz history, with three Defensive Player of the Year awards, three All-Star appearances, four All-NBA selections and six first-team All-Defensive selections.
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Gobert averaged 15.6 points, a league-leading 14.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season when a tumultuous Jazz season ended with a first-round exit at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. The Jazz had not advanced past the conference semifinals in this era, and there had been tension between Gobert and Mitchell over the past few years, putting the Ainge-led front office in the position of making significant changes this summer.
Head coach Quin Snyder resigned last month, and the Jazz concluded an extensive search before hiring 34-year-old Boston Celtics assistant Will Hardy as Snyder's replacement. Utah traded starting forward Royce O'Neale to the Brooklyn Nets for a 2023 first-round pick on Thursday, which signalled the Jazz could be a rebuild.
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Gobert has earned a reputation as one of the premier rim protectors in the history of the NBA, joining Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace and Dwight Howard as the only players to win at least three Defensive Player of the Year awards.
