Timberwolves

The Wolves Doubled Down On Their Defensive Identity With the Gobert Extension

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In a surprising move before their first game Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to a contract extension with their four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert. Shams Charania broke the news minutes before the season’s opening night tip-off against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves had locked Gobert in for at least two more seasons.

Gobert had a $46.7 million player option for next season. However, he declined it and signed a 3-year $110M reconstructed extension. By signing the extension, he pushed his player option into the 2027-28 season under a smaller cap hit.

Gobert’s $36.7M average annual value is good business for the Timberwolves. His estimated $33.95M estimated cap hit via Spotrac for the 2025/26 season is also $12.7M under his prior $46.7M player option that he declined, which he could have exercised this upcoming off-season. Allowing the Wolves to gain instant flexibility for next season’s cap sheet.

Like every other NBA franchise, the Wolves have been in limbo since the new collective-bargaining agreement established new apron tax rules. Dealing Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in a cost-cutting move was the first big domino because it allowed more financial flexibility.

However, in re-signing Gobert, the Wolves are finding ways to lower his cap percentage while showcasing his importance. Focusing on the team’s defensive identity, they now have him under contract until at least his age-34 season.

Gobert’s defensive impact is paramount for the Timberwolves. Deeper analytical sourcing strengthens the argument, but the old-fashioned eye test does Gobert much more justice here. Gobert can single-handedly force opposing players to dribble out of his radius just from being in their presence, completely resetting possessions and continuously altering opponents’ shots around the rim. That is if they are brave enough to even get a shot up in the first place.

There are many ways Gobert impacts the game defensively, things that often do not show up in a box score. Therefore, it is not much of a gamble for the Wolves to lock in one of, if not the most impactful players on the team. When he is on the court, both teams can feel his presence.

Gobert has been extension-eligible since the NBA free agency opened on July 6. Still, there were no rumblings about a deal being put in motion. It was similar to Mike Conley’s extension, which he inked mid-season last year. Conley was set to become an unrestricted free agent come season’s end, but the front office skipped the risk of future negotiations and got their work done in-house ahead of time – similar to this Gobert deal.

Conley (37) and Gobert (32) are among Minnesota’s oldest players, but their arrivals have correlated with the Timberwolves’ success. Finding ways to work around the margins while opening up alternate financial opportunities elsewhere to strengthen the team further is a much more viable route with these veterans.

Minnesota was pot-committed with Gobert, having traded picks into 2029 to acquire him. Therefore, it was implied that the Timberwolves would likely extend Gobert, considering the draft pick haul the Wolves gave him in the first place.

The Utah Jazz still have rights to their 2025, ‘26, ‘27, and ‘29 first-round picks, making it logical to keep Gobert around to ensure those don’t become high draft picks and sway the trades’ impact. Most importantly, though, the front office still sees Gobert as an asset in the roster’s growth during Anthony Edwards‘s prime years.

By trading Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves signaled their focus on Anthony Edwards’s rise. Ant proved himself the No. 1 option this past season and one of the league’s best players. Consequently, that forced the Wolves to begin thinking about the long-term success plan around him. Re-signing Gobert showcases their utmost trust.

Under the current salary apron restrictions, big money extensions come with added cost, and people will analyze them with a much more critical eye. People have started to scrutinize rookie-scale extensions under the new CBA rules, as teams have been more hesitant to give out max deals. While rookie-scale extensions have already begun to see this turn in thought, changes still have not been brought to as much of a light with other re-signings. Much of it because of the increase in cap changing the perspective of how much players are truly earning. But mostly due to the current era of extensions trickling in rather than the traditional free agent pool of the past.

Therefore, Rudy’s taking a more team-friendly deal will reflect more positively on how the team can remain financially flexible as we move into more complex years under the new rules.

Team building and sustained eras of contending are only becoming more difficult, and finding savvy ways to keep continuity while having a strong talent group is difficult. Still, this is exactly what the Wolves could do with the Gobert extension.

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Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When the New York Knicks made Donte DiVincenzo available for trade alongside Julius Randle in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves couldn’t pass it up. DiVincenzo […]

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