Chris Hine of The Star Tribune recently asked president of basketball operations Tim Connelly if the Timberwolves have discussed a veteran contract extension with center Rudy Gobert (Twitter link).
“We’d love Rudy to be here for a very long time,” Connelly replied. “We’re still in the middle of free agency. We haven’t jumped in deeper beyond that. Obviously we’re not here without Rudy … and we hope this is Rudy’s last stop.”
Gobert, 32, claimed his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023/24. He’ll earn $43.8MM in ’24/25 and holds a $46.7MM player option for ’25/26.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Veteran forward Joe Ingles spoke to Olgun Uluc of ESPN about agreeing to a one-year deal with Minnesota. Ingles, who previously played with Mike Conley and Gobert in Utah, said the Wolves recruited him last year as well. “It’s exciting. It’s obviously a really good team,” said Ingles, who will play in his fifth Olympic games later this month with Australia. “Western Conference finals this year. Just going in there fully understanding the role they have for me. Trying to help Rudy, trying to help Ant (Anthony Edwards), trying to help all these guys get better and hopefully go further. When the opportunity came up and you speak more in depth about the basketball side, especially with the stuff I’m saying – you still wanna play, you still wanna compete – it’s a basketball opportunity that was too good to give up.”
- The Wolves have a number of young players — including second-year guard Jaylen Clark — who will by vying for rotation minutes next season, writes Patrick Reusse of The Star Tribune (subscriber link). 2024 first-round picks Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr., former second-rounders Clark, Josh Minott, and Leonard Miller, and fourth-year center Luka Garza are among the names to watch. Clark missed the entire 2023/24 season after tearing his Achilles tendon at UCLA, but he’s fully healthy now and was technically active by the end of Minnesota’s second-round playoff series with Denver, Reusse adds.
- Minnesota appears to be in a strong position in the West entering the ’24/25 season, according to Michael Rand of The Star Tribune (subscription required), who praises Connelly for acquiring Dillingham, Shannon and Ingles, particularly given the limitations of being over the second tax apron.
Just from the looks of this Timberwolves squad I give it Valentine’s Day before y’all turn on them. Me personally I’m extremely excited to see these guys (don’t sleep on Leonard Miller).
On another note if Rudy leads this French team (past USA for a 3rd time &) to a gold medal you can go ahead & stamp him as a 1st ballot HOFer.
Idk if Finch ever took the blame for having Ant as the primary defender on Kyrie during most of the WCF but that was a/the main reason they lost that series & that’s the type of season ending mistakes that you can’t be making twice & keeping your job… link to m.youtube.com
With no 3-second rule in Olympics, twin stieffel towers look tough to score on
They’re also in the easiest group by far
no goal tending either lol.
Wolves trade 2030 pick for 8th pick.
I give them A.
Why didn’t Nuggets do the same thing?
Later on you can trade the 8th pick for someone like Caleb Martin.
“obviously we’re not here without Rudy”
Where’s that? Was the team relocating to Pawtucket if he wasn’t there? I didn’t see them in the finals so where exactly are they and where would they have been?
A year ago, he was wondering of acquiring Rudy was a mistake and now Rudy is the franchise savior?
Cut out the crap Connelly.
Conference finals, where 26 other teams weren’t. Weirdo.
They are stacked for next season