Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Three potential trades for Rudy Gobert could reshape the Minnesota Timberwolves' roster and playing style.
- Each deal targets different needs — from adding offensive firepower to acquiring draft assets and cap flexibility.
- The moves would allow Minnesota to reset its structure and pursue a more athletic, pace-driven approach next season.
A little over two weeks ago, Rudy Gobert was the main character of these playoffs, helping shut down Nikola Jokić and bringing the Minnesota Timberwolves to the second round. But after six games against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, the Wolves' season is over and Bleacher Report insider Jake Fischer is talking about Gobert as potential trade bait.
"He had a good series with Nikola Jokic this spring, but I do think there are starting to be some questions in Minnesota about the viability of Gobert long-term."
After five playoff runs and no NBA Finals appearances, it's clear this iteration of the Timberwolves needs to make some roster adjustments. Especially with the Spurs and Thunder showing just how far ahead of everyone else in the West they may be.
The Timberwolves have said they'd like to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and they'll reportedly be in the mix for Giannis Antetokounmpo — which would necessitate trading Gobert, Julius Randle or both to match salaries. But even if they can't win a bidding war for Giannis, they should at least explore moving both Randle and Gobert in separate deals. It's not clear there's a perfect solution waiting out there in a trade for either player, but by moving Gobert the Timberwolves could at least regain flexibility, clear the decks for a reset and starting structuring this team for a different style of play — even if it doesnt immediately put them on the same tier as the Thunder or Spurs.
Here's what some potential deals could look like.
Trade Rudy Gobert to the New Orleans Pelicans
Fischer mentioned the Pelicans in his podcast so we're at least digging into what that would look like — not great, Bob. Jordan Poole was much better in New Orleans than he had been in Washington and he can absolutely put points on the board. His decision-making is messy and his efficiency is mid but there's a role for him here on a new-look Timberwolves team that has more of a spread offensive mindset.
Giving up DiVincenzo stings but he only has two more years on his deal and he'll be out for all of the first year recovering from his Achilles' injury. But including him allows the Timberwolves to add Herb Jones, an elite forward defender who can hit open 3s (although he's struggled the past two seasons).
Assuming the Wolves move Randle as well and find a replacement center in that deal, the Wolves could roll into next season with Dosumu, Edwards, Jones and McDaniels rounding out their starting lineup. That group still has a ton of defensive upside playing a more aggressive, pressure-based scheme, and sets the table for bigger changes in the future. Poole's deal is also one seasonf shorter than Gobert's so they're picking up a future pick from the Pelicans and getting themselves to significant cap space at least one year sooner.
Trade Rudy Gobert to the Charlotte Hornets
To be fair, the Hornets might not need to make a trade at all. Their five-man unit — LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller and Moussa Diabaté — was one of the best in the league last season. Just internal growth and experience should have them in the playoffs next year but someone like Gobert could really speed up the process, especially if they can grab him without touching their core.
The three players here probably aren't a part of the Timberwolves future, or even a big part of their present. Williams has some value as a back-up big who can defend and knock down opens 3s. Mann and Green are both deep bench guard depth and could be useful with DiVincenzo out for the year and Mike Conley maybe not coming back. But Williams and Green are also expiring contracts who could be used in mid-season trades or will help open cap space two years sooner than if the Wolves just sat on Gobert.
In addition, they could grab three first-rounders to help soften the blow of what they gave up to acquire Gobert. None of these are particularly valuable individually, part of the reason they could theoretically pry three away from Charlotte — the No. 14 pick this year, Miami's 2027 pick which is protected 1-14 and the Hornets own 2028 pick, presumably with some protections.
This kind of trade probably means punting a bit on next season but it clears the decks for a big 2027 offseason and sets the Timberwolves up for a few NBA Draft gambles to add an infusion of younger talent.
Trade Rudy Gobert to the Charlotte Hornets
Jalen Green certainly didn't raise the floor or ceiling for the Houston Rockets or Phoenix Suns, one of the reasons the 24-year-old guard could be on the move again. He has undeniable scoring juice but also terrible shot-selection, a tendency to over dribble and hit a career-low 31.3 percent of his 3s last season, not to mention being a shaky defender at best.
But, in the words of Tobias Fünke, it might work for us!
A backcourt and wing rotation of Dosunmu, Edwards, Green and McDaniels would be among the most athletic in the league, stacked with versatile creators who can shoot or attack and put relentless pressure on a defense. Green is probably a much less impactful player than Gobert but his skill set and physical tools could help transform this team from a physical grinder, to a physical pace-pusher. If you're going to trade Gobert, you don't want to just find a lesser version of him, you want to make a trade that resets your style and structure, actually makes this a different team.
I may be naive, but I imagine the Suns would leap at this offer, even if they have to throw in Ryan Dunn. Green didn't work and they're a team that just needs to raise the floor, get Devin Booker some help and let the rest of the young players hopefully develop enough to challenge the top of the West. For the Timberwolves, Dunn is a lot more than a throw-in. He still has a long way to go as an outside shooter but he's got a lot of Jalen McDaniels in him — a long, incredibly disruptive defender who can spend time at both forward spots. Dunn could play a real role with these hypothetical new-look Timberwolves I'm proposing, fitting in on offense and helping compensate for the loss of Gobert with more length and aggression on the perimeter.
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