What was almost an experimental year for the Minnesota Timberwolves ended in an unprecedented second straight Western Conference Finals appearance. There's no question that the team overachieved in a year where they traded a starter 72 hours before media day and training camp. Now, the Wolves will have an increasingly difficult decision to make regarding Rudy Gobert.
Of course, that question being, what is his future role on this team? Obviously, Gobert's contributions as a defensive anchor have been arguably the biggest reason Minnesota has reached this level that they're currently at. If we remember back to the 2022 playoffs, it was the Timberwolves' lack of an interior defensive anchor that led to them looking like a fraud in the playoffs.
Add number 27 into the equation, and the Wolves have looked like a legitimate championship contender that is just a couple of steps away from being one of the real threats to take home a title. There's zero question that Rudy Gobert is one of the main reasons for the Timberwolves' success these last three seasons.
With that being said, father time is undefeated. In less than one month, Gobert will be 33 years old. Tim Connelly and the front office must consider his age when making the crucial decision of whether to keep Rudy around long-term or not.
Timberwolves must decide if it's worth it to keep Gobert
And that's not the only factor that matters when it comes to where Rudy stands with the Timberwolves going forward. There's also the matter of his contract. Gobert will be entering into a new three-year, $109.5 million contract with the team beginning next season.
The amount of money the team will have to pay Gobert going forward is possibly the best argument for parting ways with him now. The way Rudy has elevated Minnesota's defense is of course significant, but this team's payroll is simply not sustainable without making some tweaks.
There's also the aspect of Gobert's offensive limitations affecting the way Chris Finch can play him. For the last three seasons now, we have seen how Rudy's lack of ability to create his own shot can create matchup issues. Random people on the internet think that Gobert is overrated as a defender, but in reality it's his offensive game that sometimes creates issues.
This leaves the Timberwolves in an interesting position. You can trade Rudy Gobert now while he still has high market value, or you can run the risk of his large contract negatively impacting roster construction down the road.
Regardless of what direction the front office takes, this will of course be a pivotal decision for this team's future direction. It's hard to say what the right choice is right now, but picking wrong could certainly have some disastrous consequences.