The Timberwolves and center Rudy Gobert have agreed to a three-year, $110MM extension, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets.
It’s an unexpected development, considering Minnesota traded away Gobert’s frontcourt partner, Karl-Anthony Towns, this offseason at the start of Towns’ max extension.
Gobert, 32, is scheduled to make $43,827,587 this season on his current deal. He had a $46,655,173 option for the 2025/26 season, so Gobert declined that option and took a smaller annual average in order to lock into two more years. The final season in the extension will include a player option, Charania adds (Twitter link). The extension will also include a trade kicker.
Minnesota will get some cap relief with Gobert declining that option, giving it more flexibility to make moves next offseason. Julius Randle and Naz Reid, the team’s other main frontcourt players, could possibly become free agents if they decline their options next summer.
Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the fourth time he’s won the award. After a rocky first season with the organization following the blockbuster deal between Minnesota and Utah, Gobert settled in last season and played an integral role on a team which reached the Western Conference Finals.
Gobert is also one of the more durable players in the league by current standards. He hasn’t appeared in fewer than 66 regular-season games since the 2018/19 season.
Last season, he made 76 starts and averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He also started 15 postseason games, averaging 12.1 points and 9.8 rebounds.
WOW !!! In Gobert we trust.
Didn’t they just extend him? I wanna say last summer or sometime last season?
When you look at basketball reference it shows conflicting information. His last “transaction” was the Utah contract yet “current” contracts show this season and next as a 2-year agreement? Not sure the answer to your question. This is where Luke comes in LOL
I wonder if there was some kind of trade kicker in that Utah extension from 2020? The deal to Minnesota allowed a 2-year additional agreement to kick in? Not sure if that’s legal or not?
I guess, it’s a good win-win for the TWOLVES and Gobert.
By the way, speaking of the Wolves, Julius Randle is horrible. I don’t know how he puts up those numbers in the past but the guy is just unbelievably ineffective on both ends considering he’s making mega dollars.
I think most of us have been saying this for a few years but wow watching The Wolves tonight it’s just painfully obvious the guy lacks physical ability to be a good player on a championship team.
He’s really a stat stuffer on an average team but again, I don’t know how he does it. I guess it’s just that mid-range shot around the foul line that he’s perfected?
I wasn’t a fan of the trade from the Wolves perspective but that’s because they gave up the most talented player involved in the trade and it didn’t make much sense because the team was coming off a trip to the WXF and towns was a key factor that got them there.
Randle is a good basketball player though. The Knicks were 29-17 with him in the starting lineup last season as compared to as compared to 21-15 without. The Knicks had three straight winning seasons with him as the leading or second leading scorer.
I respect that opinion and somehow the numbers prove it.
But wow, when I watch the dude play I’m not seeing it at all. The dude doesn’t pass my eyeball test and I would consider him a liability on a championship contender.
I’m going to give him a break tonight since this is his first game since injury. Preseason does help and he got a game in.
I agree otherwise. He’s not gonna get the same looks or shots on this team with much better shooters. He’s gonna need to find his role.
The trade was all about the 1st and DiVincenzo, Randle was salary. He’s a vet though and the knowledge and experience is always something.
Wow: 3 yrs at $36M/yr! I can’t help but think of how much more likely this makes it to trade Gobert.
Watching the new-look TWolves right now, and without Towns they lack outside shooting. No way they can win playing Randall and Gobert together inside. But Naz Reid van be paired with either, a much better fit.
The Wolves are still in the red, and they cannot afford all 3 of Randle, Gobert, and Naz Reid. Reid is due for an extension, probably in excess of $30M and Randall needs $45M.
If the Wolves can extend Randle and Reid this season, maybe they trade Rudy.
The wolves are hanging their hat on Rudy Gobert and probably Naz also. This article confirms that with the extension he signed.
Randle was an unfortunate part of the Towns trade but necessary because of salary. Randle is horrible, everyone on the face of the planet can see that. He will be allowed to walk at the first possible moment.
The Wolves won’t trade Rudy. They traded Towns instead. They already made the choice.
I just wonder if they can keep Edwards after they get the chip this year, or will he go straight to the NFL?