Back in July 2022, the Minnesota Timberwolves made their famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) trade for Rudy Gobert. The deal was one of the first of the offseason that year, and it sent the Defensive Player of the Year to Minnesota, while Utah got back a haul of assets in return.
The Jazz acquired Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, 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. Utah certainly got their money's worth in sending away their defensive anchor, and then they nearly doubled that return when they dealt Donovan Mitchell later that summer in September 2022.
Of course, the Wolves were then set up with a rock-solid frontcourt that they hoped would optimize Anthony Edwards' talent. The results of the deal have obviously been mixed, with years one and three of the Gobert experiment being questionable, while year two featured one of the best seasons in franchise history in 2023-24.
The Jazz are consolidating their first-round picks acquired in the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 22, 2025
Including the 2031 unprotected first from Phoenix, Utah has 11 first-round picks in the next seven years. pic.twitter.com/mmdx5M4wmE
Phoenix's deal with Utah moved Minnesota's picks from the Gobert trade
Now, the latest breaking NBA news has served to officially finalize this July 2022 trade two and a half years later. It was reported on Tuesday evening that the Jazz would be making a trade with Phoenix, sending three picks to their Western Conference rivals while acquiring the Suns' unprotected 2031 first-rounder.
According to league insider Shams Charania, Phoenix will be acquiring the least favorable first-round picks of Cleveland/Minnesota in 2025, and the least favorable of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah in 2027 and 2029. So when things are all said and done, the Timberwolves' picks they sent to the Jazz back over two seasons ago could be on the move once again.
All things considered, this is looking like a smart move from Utah, seeing as the future of the Suns is very much up in the air. As for fans in Minnesota, they now know that their team's picks could be on the way to Phoenix in later years if they end up performing particularly well in those seasons.