The Minnesota Timberwolves are banking on a lot of hypotheticals entering this season, but one of the biggest may be Rudy Gobert. The Wolves didn’t make a financial investment in Gobert this offseason, but they did just about everything else to build around him this summer.
With the additions of LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga and the departures of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the vision for Gobert to have a bigger impact is clear. With a player option for the final year of his current three-year, $109.5 million contract, Gobert will soon need a new deal. The move could also have significant financial implications if everything goes to plan.
But an extension from the Wolves isn’t a given as he enters his age-34 season, and it could lead to a pivotal data point as Minnesota heads into this year pondering Gobert’s future. It's worth noting that Jon Krawczynski hasn't heard any sort of real momentum toward an extension happening immediately.
The Timberwolves finally built the team Rudy Gobert needed
The Wolves' biggest storyline this offseason was finding help for Anthony Edwards, but a secondary one was maximizing Gobert’s compatibility with the players around him.
Gobert has been a solid addition for the Wolves since coming over in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz in the summer of 2022. Despite winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award during the 2023-24 season, his fit hasn’t always been the best.
Gobert’s time in Minnesota began alongside another seven-footer, Karl-Anthony Towns. While the duo helped the Wolves reach their first Western Conference Finals in 20 years, Towns was traded to the New York Knicks due to salary cap concerns.
That trade brought in Randle as Towns’s replacement. But for as awkward as Towns was next to Gobert, Randle was even worse. Randle’s “bully ball” tendencies created a black hole for the Wolves’ offense at times, and the two never seemed to establish chemistry.
This included a notable incident during a game against the Toronto Raptors in November 2024 when Randle refused to throw a pass to Gobert despite a glaring mismatch against Scottie Barnes in the paint, leading to a three-second violation.
The relationship had enough bright moments to fuel another trip to the Western Conference Finals, but it crashed again last season as Randle sulked through the second half. This led to major changes this summer. Randle was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, and Reid was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. There were rumors that Gobert could be traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Derrick White or Jaylen Brown. Still, the Wolves opted to keep Gobert, building a more dynamic cast around him.
Maximizing Rudy Gobert could have him play his way out of Minnesota
In the end, Gobert’s role is one of the most important on the Wolves roster – especially on the defensive end. Ball and Edwards have had issues guarding on the perimeter in the past, but having Gobert to clean up anything in the paint makes up for it. The Wolves also added a dynamic floor-runner and spacer in Jonathan Kuminga, and the hope is that it could allow more opportunities for Gobert in the offense.
But while this is good news in the present, it could create an interesting situation at the end of the year. If Gobert has success, he’ll likely opt out of his contract. Should that happen, Gobert could command a contract worth $35 to $45 million annually, which is a number the Wolves (or a number of other teams) may not be comfortable giving to a player who will turn 35 next June.
That decision could also be complicated by the development of Joan Beringer. While Beringer will have a bench role this year, he could push for more minutes if he plays well. Should that happen, the Wolves might feel comfortable letting Gobert walk and use some of that money toward a supermax extension for Edwards and extensions for Ball and Jaden McDaniels next summer.
It creates an interesting situation where the Wolves need Gobert to succeed, but he could play his way out of Minnesota if he fulfills that vision. It could put him on the trade block next offseason or even at the deadline if it doesn’t pan out or if Beringer develops faster than expected.
It’s something to keep an eye on as the season unfolds and one that could shape the Wolves in the paint this season and beyond.
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