Let's address the elephant in the room. If you're the Minnesota Timberwolves, what exactly do you do with Rudy Gobert this summer? His interior defense has obviously been key to the Wolves' massive success over the last three seasons, but his large price tag, increasing age and offensive limitations make him a trade candidate. With that being said, there doesn't appear to be a trade out there for him that makes a lot of sense.
Gobert is still under contract for the next two seasons, and he'll be owed $71.5 million between now and the end of the 2026-27 year. For everything he does well that's impactful, that's still a lot for a guy who you can't reasonably expect to give you any real shot creation and can't effectively space the floor.
What makes this a complete paradox is the fact that removing him from Minnesota's scheme would completely dismantle their defensive identity. Without Rudy Gobert in the center, there's no one to be a one-size fits all solution to perimeter defensive mistakes, and no one to be an extreme deterrent to drives from the opposition. Essentially, the Timberwolves can't live without him, and they can't live with him.
The Wolves can't trade and can't keep Gobert
Keeping Gobert around would be something that would ultimately put the team in a more restrictive position long-term. Committing the finances to keep Rudy's services would seem to not be worth the price tag and increased tax apron penalties in years to come. But if you pivot to the direction of, "he has to be traded right now," who exactly is going to be desperate to take him off your hands if you're Minnesota?
Even the teams that need defensive power on the interior are probably not going to be thrilled at the prospect of committing long-term to a guy who has a large paycheck coming his way, and who has his limitations on the offensive side of the ball. So again, there's not really a clear answer of what to do for Tim Connelly and company this summer.
I'm not sure there's anything Timberwolves fans can really hope for in this situation other than an unforeseen miracle deal that bails them out of trouble. If they can get another squad to overpay for Rudy Gobert's services, it may be the best situation. Otherwise, they're going to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.