The Minnesota Timberwolves will search for a star this offseason, but it may not be as simple as getting from “Point A” to “Point B.” While many have visions of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kyrie Irving dancing in their heads, the Timberwolves may have to make other moves to make their offer more attractive and that could include trading Rudy Gobert to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks are in need of rim protection after getting through this past season with not much depth behind Onyeka Okongwu, who could also thrive at the four. They also have a previous connection as Quinn Snyder coached Rudy Gobert for eight seasons (2014-22) with the Utah Jazz.
While the Hawks could be interested, the return may not be massive and it could mean that trading Gobert is just one piece of the equation that lands Minnesota its second superstar this summer.
Trading Rudy Gobert to the Hawks would be first step in Timberwolves path to a superstar
The Hawks have plenty of assets to make a Gobert trade work, but they aren’t anything that will give the Wolves their ultimate goal. Atlanta has a strong stash of picks that could help the Wolves replenish their capital, but it’s unclear which picks they’d be willing to give up.
On paper, the No. 8 overall pick sounds like something the Wolves would covet. But Atlanta is unlikely to make that pick available. Even if they did, taking someone such as Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. would carry the same amount of risk as trading up to select Rob Dillingham eighth overall in the 2024 draft, which could leave Minnesota stuck in the same position they are right now.
The 23rd overall pick is another selection that could be floated in the deal, but that is also unlikely to yield a superstar and may not be appealing to a team that has one available for trade. Atlanta’s stash of future picks is also complicated by protections and swap rights from previous trades, which makes a straight exchange of Gobert for draft picks seem fruitless.
The Hawks also don’t have much in terms of appealing players. Zaccharie Risacher is a former No. 1 overall pick, but his value is declining after falling out of the rotation in the second half of last season. Corey Kispert is another player who could be moved, but he’s more of a reserve with a career average of 10.7 points per game.
Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield are also players who could be filling out change of address forms in a Gobert trade, but they may not have value for the Wolves unless they flip them in a separate deal.
The Wolves want to bring a second star into the fold, but they may not have the assets to do it. A core of Anthony Edwards, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels and Joan Beringer has been floated around as the future for the franchise. But that quartet represents their most tradeable assets unless they can come up with something else.
In short terms, trading Gobert to the Hawks and finding a second suitor for Julius Randle may be the first steps toward getting their superstar. Adding Kuminga (assuming Atlanta picks up his $24.2 million team option) or Risacher could add some upside to whatever package the Timberwolves could offer for Antetokounmpo or Irving and perhaps give them an extra draft pick or two that could be used to sweeten the pot against some of the other teams that will be coming for those stars.
If the Wolves take the same approach with Randle, it could give them a fighting chance to get a superstar this summer. But if the Wolves are expecting that star to come from dealing either troubled big man, they could be in for a disappointing result.
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