As ESPN reports, the 30-year-old French international is traded to the Timberwolves, where he will be partnered with insider Karl Anthony Towns.
The end of an era. After a new disappointment in the play-offs and the departure of coach Quin Snyder, the leaders of the Jazz have decided to wipe the slate clean and start anew with a clean sheet, or almost, around Donovan Mitchell. The other Utah franchise star, Rudy Gobert, is heading to Minnesota. ESPN indeed tells us that the 30-year-old tricolor international pivot, triple best defender in the NBA and three times All Star, is traded with the Timberwolves. This is the first big trade of the offseason in the NBA and also the first real trade in the career of Gobert, raised in Cholet and chosen in 27th position in the 2013 Draft by Denver, but immediately sent to the Salt Lake City club (611 matches).
Recall that the native of Saint-Quentin (02) had signed, at the end of 2020, a contract of $ 205 million over five years. The last year, in 2025-26, is optional ($46.6 million). A record on the scale of French sport.
To acquire such a player and such a contract, Minnesota obviously paid a high price. Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro and four first rounds of the Draft, free choices in 2023, 2025 and 2027, protected Top 5 in 2029, land in the hands of Utah. Ironically, it was Tim Connelly, stationed in Denver at the time, who traded the newcomer Gobert in 2013. Now president of basketball operations in Twin Cities, it was he who attracted him to the T-Wolves, where the 2.16m giant will be notably associated with the young (26) Dominican international interior Karl-Anthony Towns.
Sacred doublet in the racket of the Timberwolves, who have also managed to keep their young superstar in the making Anthony Edwards or the former Laker D’Angelo Russell.
More info to follow…