There's no question that the Rudy Gobert trade was one of the most pivotal moments in this era of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball. And now, on the first night of the 2025 NBA Draft, another piece of that famous trade has now been finalized with the 21st overall pick.
That selection was of course made by the Utah Jazz, who obtained the pick from the Wolves in that July 2022 transaction. The Jazz picked Will Riley from the University of Illinois, before ultimately dealing him to the Washington Wizards.
Let's revisit the full details of that trade real quick to make sure we have the proper perspective on it. The Timberwolves got their defensive anchor and new starting center in Gobert, while Utah received a treasure trove of players and picks.
The Jazz ended up with Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler (the number 22 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft), Jarred Vanderbilt, along with the Timberwolves' 2023 first round pick, their 2025 first round pick, a 2026 pick swap, their 2027 first round pick, and their 2029 first round pick.
Another piece of the Gobert trade was finalized on Wednesday
As we know, no matter what you think about the deal, it was a necessary move for the Timberwolves to make at the time. They had just lost a first round series with the Memphis Grizzlies due in large part to their lack of strong interior defense. Rudy obviously plugged those holes right away.
Now of course, Gobert is not without his problems. He's not an overly capable offensive player that can generate his own looks consistently, and he has trouble finishing around the rim. With that being said, Rudy is one of the main reasons that Minnesota reached the level they did over the last two seasons. Of course, as is the case with many situations in the NBA, the trouble with Gobert comes down to financials.
Rudy Gobert is playing on a big contract. With so many big names and veterans currently on the Timberwolves' roster, Minnesota is going to need more rookie contracts and affordable deals going forward. Number 27 has been a ceiling-raiser without a question, but it's still questionable whether he's worth his high price point.
Unfortunately, Utah's 21st overall pick on Wednesday night only served to remind Wolves fans of this situation. Would Minnesota still do the Rudy Gobert trade the same way again if given the opportunity? Probably, but that doesn't mean their upcoming decision concerning him this summer is going to be any easier.