When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert in 2022, the move was met with a ton of criticism. ESPN and CBS Sports both graded the trade a D; The Athletic was more generous, giving it a C+.
Look, four first-round picks, a pick swap, the recently drafted Walker Kessler, and multiple rotational players were a steep price. Tim Connelly making this move just months into his tenure with the Timberwolves was incredibly bold. Regardless, four years removed from the blockbuster trade, this move has aged like fine wine, and frankly, it's hard to argue otherwise.
Gobert has helped usher in the most successful era of Wolves basketball. Minnesota has made the conference finals in two of the past three years and won its first-round series in all but one season with Gobert.
Of course, Anthony Edwards' ascension is a vital part of the Timberwolves' success. Make no mistake, though: the Timberwolves don't have this much success without Gobert.
Rudy Gobert gave the Timberwolves an identity
For the past several years, the Timberwolves have been known for their elite defense. The Wolves have been a top-10 defense in each season with Gobert; they were notably the top-ranked defense in 2023-24, a season in which Rudy won his fourth DPOY.
Without Gobert, they don't have this same identity, and in turn, don't reach these same heights.
The Timberwolves' frontcourt size helped them upset the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the 2024 playoffs. Furthermore, it helped them overwhelm the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in 2025. This past playoffs is Gobert's crowning achievement, though, as he single-handedly shut down Nikola Jokic, holding him to 42.6 percent shooting as the primary defender.
Now, with the Timberwolves abandoning their frontcourt size around Rudy by trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid to land LaMelo Ball, they are asking more from Gobert. Thankfully, Gobert hasn't shown any signs of defensive regression, and LaMelo should help maximize him on offense.
When you have a defensive anchor at Gobert's historically great level, this allows for an identity shift like this.
Trading for Gobert gave Edwards some crucial experience at a young age
Beyond transforming their defense, how Gobert impacted Edwards is a factor that must be discussed. The Timberwolves showed some flashes of upside in the season before trading for Gobert. They finished as the No. 7 seed, and it was clear that Edwards was a budding star after his second year.
Nevertheless, it wasn't a mature group, and without making a move, it might have taken a while for them to be a true playoff threat. Minnesota needed a proven veteran who could ensure that this young group got meaningful playoff experience. To find a player who clearly improves the team's championship equity and playoff viability, you have to give up a pretty penny.
As we established, Gobert improved the Timberwolves' chances of winning at a high level due to his elite defense. Another factor that needs to be considered, though, is that he taught this young team winning habits.
Edwards, of course, deserves all the credit for continuing to elevate his game each season. However, Gobert helped Edwards improve his diet and play a more mature brand of basketball. From this standpoint and getting some real playoff experience, nobody benefited from this trade more than Ant-Man. As Edwards enters his true prime, this experience playing in high-leverage situations from a young age will benefit him.
When you have a player as talented as Ant, these are the types of big swings you have to make. Even though Edwards was entering just his third year, you should always be trying to maximize your title chances, and therein lies the genius of the Gobert trade.
Given how well it's worked out, and the experience this move has given Ant, it's hard to argue against the Gobert trade in hindsight.
And frankly, there weren't that many players available who clearly boosted the Timberwolves' playoff viability. One name who was linked to the Wolves around the time was Dejounte Murray. With all due respect, there's no guarantee Murray would have worked out in Minnesota; look at what happened in Atlanta. Still, the Wolves would've had to pay a similar price to what they did for Gobert.
Would having some of those extra picks be nice? Sure, but it's hard to argue against the results that the Gobert trade has brought to the team. Plus, this trade gave the Timberwolves a chance to win now rather than banking on the possibility of future picks.
Now, entering his fifth year with the team, Gobert remains an essential part of the Timberwolves' success. And outside of him, the Wolves' core consists of players 26 and under, meaning they have a sustainable contender.
All in all, the Gobert trade accomplished everything the Timberwolves could've hoped for, and they're still reaping the benefits from it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google