You do not have to look far to see the blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert in the summer of 2022 labeled as ‘the worst trade of all time.’ Charles Barkley said it himself on national television in January and nobody was quick to disagree. Even when someone posts a clip of Gobert on social media, people are quick to offer negative comments about him. It doesn’t matter whether said clip saw Gobert get fouled, triple-teamed, or miss a shot at the buzzer: if there’s a chance to mock him, people will do it.
It’s still too early to judge the trade’s outcome. Of course, that’s no fun if you’re a casual NBA fan or a pundit on a website trying to get as many interactions as possible. You see the package the Wolves gave up, check the standings to see them no better off, and deem the trade as the worst of all time. It’s easy. And the Wolves invite criticism as the losingest franchise in men’s professional sports.
The only big regret of the trade so far was giving up Walker Kessler. And still, he was a guy that 21 other teams passed up on during the 2022 draft. Beyond Kessler, the Wolves traded four role players who have already moved multiple times since. Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley are on their third teams since leaving. Jarred Vanderbilt is on his second and Leandro Bolmaro isn’t in the league anymore. Of course, of the four first-round picks the Jazz took, there may be the odd success story but no guarantees the Wolves would have picked them, anyway. This problem is lessened if the Wolves have a good record and the pick falls later into the first round.
The Gobert trade wasn’t as bad as some people make it out to be. But it’s still fair to ask whether the trade was necessary in the first place. Certainly, nobody thought Kessler would be this good and this quickly. Like with any big move in this sport, it’s far easier to judge in hindsight. However, there are plenty of ways for the narrative on the Gobert trade to change this season.
Winning. That one is obvious. If the Wolves can stay healthy, a factor that feels growing in importance every year in a stacked Western Conference, then it is reasonable to think they should be a top-6 seed and avoid the play-in. Casual NBA broadcasters and pundits will not notice that the Wolves should be good. Despite the growing national interest in Anthony Edwards, it remains a relatively unsexy opinion to think that the Timberwolves might actually be pretty good. While there are a lot of great teams in the West, many of them overhauled their roster and will have to develop chemistry. And players with far bigger health problems too. If the Wolves can stay healthy, then they can be a legitimate threat in the West.
The other big question revolves around Gobert’s fit with Karl-Anthony Towns. If KAT can play the 4 to the level he is capable of and his defense improves (or the transition defense improves), then the trade seems far more successful. KAT was always needed to play there successfully for this move to work. Furthermore, with Naz Reid signing for $14 million a year, the Wolves are truly committed to playing big. There will be no ‘hiding’ the Gobert-KAT combination for 35 minutes a game. Minnesota is playing big from start to finish, and every team is going to know it. The commitment to that style is paramount in refining the double-big chemistry.
One of the more recent Gobert ‘memes’ has been the clip of him shooting and missing a late shot clock three in the pre-season win over the Chicago Bulls. Gobert comes off the back of a summer in which he made his first career three in a friendly for France against Montenegro. At 31, do not expect him to let it fly from deep much, and don’t expect Chris Finch to let him. His game is not changing at his age, so a year with players having gotten used to him and his style of play should make a world of difference.
The jury is very much out on Gobert but winning is what fixes everything, of course. If the Wolves win a playoff series or two, the narrative changes. After all, how can the ‘worst trade of all time’ culminate in playoff success two years down the line? Or perhaps it doesn’t matter. Maybe it would require the Wolves to win a championship to end that discourse, and that seems a way off yet.
With a looming salary cap hit and KAT’s super-sized contract, the Wolves need to have a good season, or we can all expect big changes within the next 12 months. Minnesota may trade Towns if things do not go well. As for Rudy? Well, the Wolves are most likely committed to him for some time yet.
