Two years ago, Rudy Gobert signed a three-year $110 million extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves. In doing so, he declined his $46.6 million player option and opened up some financial flexibility. This selfless act might have been the reason (in addition to the Karl-Anthony Towns trade) why the Wolves were able to re-sign Naz Reid last summer.
Quietly, though, Gobert is eligible for another extension late this offseason. To be more specific, Gobert is eligible for a three-year, $165.6 million extension in October. If the two sides reach an agreement, Gobert will take less than what he's fully eligible for. At 34, there's a zero percent chance that the Timberwolves are willing to sign him to a deal over $50 million a year.Â
However, the question is: Just how much of a pay cut is Gobert willing to take? As the Timberwolves are financially crunched and have other extensions coming up, they would clearly benefit from Gobert taking less money (assuming his remarkable longevity continues).
Gobert's rim protection remains incredibly valuable, and he is a key piece of the Wolves' championship hopes. Unless Joan Beringer proves to be way ahead of schedule, the Timberwolves will need to keep him to maximize their title chances. That will require him to sacrifice some money, though.Â
Rudy Gobert taking a pay cut on his next extension would benefit the Timberwolves
If Rudy fully replicates what he did in 2024, he could decline his $38 million player option for the 2027-28 season and, in turn, take a pay cut. Now, the Timberwolves don't need him to do this. Currently, Minnesota has $32.3 million of expiring money coming off their books next offseason, as Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Green, Bones Hyland, and Trey Lyles are all set to become free agents.Â
The Timberwolves should be able to re-sign DiVincenzo and Green for cheaper than their previous contracts. Let's say that Gobert fully replicates his favor and takes an $11.6 million pay cut after declining his player option; this would give the Wolves $43.9 million of cap space next summer. That would be significant.
The bigger picture, though, is that Minnesota has extensions for Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Jaden McDaniels looming. While these deals won't kick in until 2029, they'll need to have some flexibility down the road. As such, Gobert taking a long-term pay cut, even if he picks up his player option (assuming the two sides want to extend), would be beneficial.
Pinpointing Gobert's exact value is tricky. Again, it's certainly not what he's eligible for, and age-wise there are some real risks. Given how great of a defender he is, though, something around the low $30 million range feels reasonable. Furthermore, that's what makes retaining him a priority.Â
A few months before turning 34, Jrue Holiday inked a four-year $135 million extension with the Boston Celtics. So there's a recent precedent of players within this age range earning a pretty penny. For the Timberwolves, though, carrying another $30 million-plus contract isn't prudent in the second apron (ask the Celtics how it worked out).
Now, if Gobert is willing to take something within the $20 million range annually or front-load his contract, a deal could get done. Make no mistake, though, this would be a sacrifice for Gobert.Â
When it's all said and done, the Timberwolves should want to extend Gobert, who is still immensely valuable, but they'll need him to help them out again and take a cheaper deal.Â
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