I want to get a few things out of the way. Firstly, Rudy Gobert is an awesome player who has been a crucial part of the Timberwolves' success since his arrival in 2022, and he is still playing at a high level. Likewise, few players in the league can anchor a defense like Gobert. Also, trading Gobert next summer involves a very specific scenario.
Joan Beringer would have to show he's not just a quality backup, but a starting-level player. Jonathan Kuminga would also need to prove he's a vital part of the Wolves' success and worthy of a bigger contract.
If these two things happen, though, it's certainly possible the Timberwolves will become comfortable parting ways with Gobert next offseason. They could promote Beringer to the starting five and open up cap space to re-sign Kuminga.
Joan Beringer could prove to be a starting-level center
Beringer has a wide range of outcomes this season. The Wolves aren't counting on him to play more than 15 minutes, since he'll only play when Gobert is off the floor. In some ways, this is an ideal role for Beringer in his second season. He won't be overtaxed, but he can still get used to playing regular NBA minutes. I have confidence that he'll prove to be a quality backup, with a few growing pains along the way.
However, it's clear that Beringer's upside is through the roof. He is a gifted athlete who gives the Wolves some offensive juice as a rim runner and is a switchable defender with rim-protection chops. If Beringer can cut back on the fouls and improve his one-on-one defense against physical centers, he could be even more than a quality backup in year two.
To be clear, even in the best-case scenario, Beringer won't prove to be better than Gobert next season. Still, he could prove to be a starting-level center on a championship team. Yes, this is a high bar, but it's possible.
Considering that he's on a rookie contract making just $4.6 million in the 2027-28 season, it could be worth starting him and looking to trade Gobert's $38 million expiring contract (assuming he picks up his player option).
Even if Beringer excels, though, Kuminga proving his worth is another important part of the equation. This gives the Timberwolves a clear path to reallocate some of Gobert's money.
Jonathan Kuminga could prove to be more important than a one-year rental
On a two-year, $12.4 million deal with a player option after the first year, Kuminga is widely viewed as a one-year rental. Admittedly, this is the most likely scenario. But what if he proves to be a perfect fit? If he buys into being a high-quality complementary forward, it's possible. For this to happen, he would need to play physical defense off the ball, be disruptive off the ball, and be an athletic play-finisher on offense. Players like this are highly valuable to title-winning teams. Look at Aaron Gordon.
In this scenario, Kuminga would be worth re-signing on a long-term deal for roughly $20 million a year. That's not possible with Gobert staying put, though. As such, if Kuminga proves to be an ideal fit and Beringer proves to be ready for more than a backup role, they could trade Gobert. The Wolves could take back less money, and thus re-sign Kuminga to a fair contract. It's possible this also gives the Wolves some future draft capital.
If Kuminga is indeed a one-year rental, the Wolves will once again be searching for a power forward. That will be a tricky void to fill with the Wolves' cap situation. So, if Beringer proves to be a starting-level center, keeping Kuminga and trading Gobert would be logical in many ways. Fully committing to Anthony Edwards' timeline could also be part of the logic of trading Gobert.
Now, Gobert could take a pay cut and allow the Timberwolves to re-sign Kuminga. He notably took a pay cut in 2024. Nevertheless, if he doesn't, that will make things tricky for the Wolves.
To be fair, Kuminga and Beringer are currently two of the Timberwolves' biggest question marks, so this Gobert debate might never happen. Regardless, if they prove themselves, Minnesota will face a tricky decision with Gobert next offseason.
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