The Minnesota Timberwolves currently have one of their most talented rosters in franchise history. Karl-Anthony Towns or no Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves still possess the pieces to run it back and become one of the top teams in the Western Conference for a second season in a row.
Of course, Minnesota wanted to keep Towns badly as well, but the finances simply worked out to where it would work better for the team's long-term viability if they moved him. It was an unfortunate consequence of the terms of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement.
With that in mind and now that the Timberwolves have cut costs a little, they are now no doubt going to try even harder to keep around the other pieces that helped them get to where they currently are. That includes the other two players that comprised their former "three big men" rotation: Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
At Minnesota's media day on Monday, Chris Finch gave some insight into the team's strategy behind potential extensions, and their intentions to re-sign their players. "We’ve had some nice discussions with Rudy," he said. "Certainly we want him to be here as long as he wants to be here. And we hope he ends his career here. With Naz, it’s a bit different, there’s not much optionality from a team side. There’s not much we can do.”
Tim Connelly when asked about contract extensions for Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid:
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) September 30, 2024
“We’ve had some nice discussions with Rudy. Certainly we want him to be here as long as he wants to be here. And we hope he ends his career here. With Naz, it’s a bit different, there’s not much…
Finch: Timberwolves want Gobert to retire in Minnesota
This is all pretty far from surprising. Finch likely knows that they want both players back, but with only one currently being extension-eligible, it of course limits their options in terms of what they can do in the here and now.
Reid signed his extension with the Timberwolves back on June 25, 2023, for three years and $42 million. He will officially be eligible to sign another extension once the two-year anniversary mark from his previous deal with the team hits. Given that June 25, 2025 is less than nine months away, it is reasonable to assume the front office is already considering those time restraints.
Gobert will have a player option next summer that he can choose to exercise. In the meantime, Finch's words make it clear that the team has already talked with Rudy about returning to Minnesota, and it sounds like an extension could be in the works, barring some unforeseen circumstance.
This is of course exactly what fans need to hear following the devastating KAT trade news. It is obviously not feasible to keep every single player on the roster forever, but Naz and Rudy figure to continue to be two of the most important rotation players for the Timberwolves.