The Minnesota Timberwolves will likely be aggressively shopping their starting frontcourt this offseason in search of giving Anthony Edwards a team that better suits his strengths. Between Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, it's likely that Gobert has more value on the open market given his notoriety as an elite defensive floor raiser.
Trading Gobert, however, leaves a massive hole in this roster. The only rim protectors on the roster would be second-year players in Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky.
While they both have some potential, it's doubtful that they will be viable starters next year. This means that the Wolves would have to somehow acquire another rim protector, even if it's in a deal for Randle, not Gobert. Lucky for them, the Brooklyn Nets are a team that should be more than willing to play ball.
Nic Claxton is as good a Rudy Gobert replacement as there is on the trade market
Next season, the Nets won't have control of their first-round pick, meaning that they won't be incentivized to lose games. A player that the Nets should have some interest in is Julius Randle.
Despite Randle's flaws, he can elevate a team's floor, and he thrives much more as a number one option, which he would be in Brooklyn.
The Wolves could then look to get Nic Claxton in return for Randle. Claxton is one of the more underrated centers in the sport, and he gets overlooked because he has played on bad teams in recent years. He provides a solid level of rim protection, good touch in the paint, and the ability to rim-run. He also drastically improved his passing this season, even notching a couple of triple-doubles.
Nic Claxton becomes the first Nets center to record a triple-double this century. pic.twitter.com/dRrgssiFdt
— Real App (@realapp) November 22, 2025
A Randle for Claxton swap would give each team something that they need. The Nets would get a talented player who could improve their floor and elevate their young core, and the Wolves would get a younger starting center that fits Ant's timeline better while filling their needs of rim protection and rebounding.
How does Nic Claxton compare to Rudy Gobert?
While Gobert is pretty safely the better player, I think Claxton would be a better fit on this Wolves team. Too many times, the offense got bogged down by Gobert's shortcomings on that end, and while Claxton isn't elite on that end, he is definitely an upgrade.
Claxton provides a level of ball handling, playmaking, and fluidity that just isn't in Gobert's repertoire. While on defense, Gobert definitely takes the throne; Claxton is no slouch on that end, either. The huge upgrade on offense would be more than worth the slight downgrade on defense for the Wolves.
Claxton will likely be available, and in the event of a Gobert trade, Tim Connelly needs to be all over it.
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