After years of speculation, a trade involving Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has finally happened.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the T-Wolves will receive the French center in exchange for five players and five future draft picks.
The Jazz will receive Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler and Jarred Vanderbilt. Utah will also get a 2023, 2025, 2027 and protected 2029 first-round pick plus a 2026 swap.
The enormous haul is understandable because the T-Wolves are getting a defensive demon in Gobert. The French player is a three-time NBA Defensive Defensive Player of the Year and also a three-time All-Star.
This developed as the Jazz named a new head coach, Will Hardy, to take over from Quin Snyder.
The trade also caps Gobert’s partnership with Donovan Mitchell. The two cagers have had a hot and cold relationship on several occasions. The trade also hints that Utah will be rebuilding around Mitchell moving forward.
Together, the Jazz were able to advance to the playoffs but failed to make it to the NBA Finals. Last season, they had the best regular-season record but were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
It was the second time that Utah exited in the first round in three seasons.
For the Timberwolves, the addition of the 7-foot-1 center is a key development. Aside from forming a scary frontline with Karl-Anthony Towns, projected to start alongside the towering combo are D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels.
The trade of Gobert comes not long after the T-Wolves were able to strike a deal with Towns.
The 26-year-old center agreed to a four-year $224 million deal that will keep him in Minnesota for the next six years, NBA.com reported.
On the other hand, Gobert has four years left in his five-year $205 million contract, something he signed with Utah last summer.
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