The Minnesota Timberwolves are heading toward a summer of big moves and when it comes to actual size, few may be bigger than Rudy Gobert. The 7-foot-1 center will likely be placed on the trade block this offseason and his defensive-minded skill set could intrigue any team looking for an upgrade at center.
At this stage of the offseason, it’s hard to gauge which teams could be interested, but one suitor could be the Charlotte Hornets. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hornets reportedly looked into trading for Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings as they are considering “a starting-caliber center upgrade” ahead of next season.
With the Sabonis talks stalling out for now, the Wolves could cut in line and offload Gobert to a team that could use him. But the catch is what the Hornets would be willing to give up in the deal in terms of draft capital.
Timberwolves could send Rudy Gobert to Hornets with the right draft capital
Sabonis would make a fine target for the Hornets as a two-time All-NBA selection and a three-time All-Star, but acquiring him wouldn’t be cheap. Scotto’s report says the Hornets offered Miles Bridges and Josh Green as potential pieces of the deal, but the hang-up involved the 14th and 18th picks in this month’s draft, which Charlotte “has been resistant” to include in a package.
If the Hornets’ pursuit of Sabonis continues to go nowhere, Gobert would be a sensible pivot. A four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert could take their interior defense, which had the second-highest defensive rebounding rate in the NBA at 72.2 percent last season, to another level. But also bring a complicated deal that would have to match salaries and draft picks.
The financial part of it can be figured out. The Hornets could include Grant Williams, who is scheduled to make $14.2 million according to Spotrac, and Josh Green, who is scheduled to make $14.6 million, to match Gobert’s $36.5 million salary for next season. Green also has an on-court benefit, shooting 42 percent on 3-pointers as a bench player last season.
Charlotte could also sweeten the deal by including Moussa Diabate to replace Gobert. While he doesn’t offer the same rim protection as Gobert with 1.0 blocks per game last season, he’s a strong rebounder with 8.7 boards per game and an efficient offensive player who shot 63.1 percent from the field.
But perhaps the biggest reason the Wolves could trade Gobert is to replenish some of their draft capital. The Wolves own the 28th pick in this month’s draft and first- round selections in 2028, 2030 and 2032. But the 2030 first-rounder is the least favorable between the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota also doesn’t have second-round picks in 2027, 2028 and 2031 as a result of recent trades.
With the Wolves searching for a second star to complement Anthony Edwards or just add better pieces around him, adding draft picks is a big priority after sending four first-rounders, a pick swap and 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler to the Utah Jazz in the trade to acquire Gobert back in 2022. Minnesota lit more draft picks on fire after trading up to select Rob Dillingham eighth overall in the 2024 draft and sent four second-round picks along with Dillingham and Leonard Miller to acquire Ayo Dosunmu at last year’s trade deadline.
In short, any deal involving Gobert is going to have to come with some draft capital, but it’s curious how much the Hornets would be willing to give up, especially given their stance on Sabonis. With several teams looking to get stronger in the paint, Gobert will be an asset, but it may be a pick or two that determines whether the 33-year-old makes it to Charlotte.
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