As Rudy Gobert reads the Twitter comments, he knows that Minnesota fans didn’t like him much in his first nine NBA seasons. And he heard complaints from Timberwolves coach Chris Finch about the method of setting the screen regularly.
That attitude is likely to change.
“We’re on the same side now, so I’m excited,” Gobert said.
So is Minnesota, for good reason. Timberwolves announced Gobert’s acquisition at a news conference in Minneapolis on Wednesday, when it agreed last week to a deal with the Utah Jazz that could eventually become official. It involved four players, five first-round picks – including one made last month – and the option to switch to second-choice went to French center Minnesota, and the Timberwolves still feel they have done well in the deal.
Finch said, “We feel like he fits perfectly into what we’re doing.
In a league that has been increasingly disenfranchised, where it was sometimes a short-ball state, the Timberwolves now have two of the best men in the league, Gobert plays with the All-NBA. Artist Carl-Anthony Towns.
“He doesn’t restrict anything we currently have,” said Tim Connelly, president of Timberwolves of Basketball Operations. “He does it better. He makes what he has. So, when we look fit, it’s not just about talent. It’s about team development … and he makes it better.”
The Utah-Minnesota trade soon took effect when the NBA postponed signing contracts on the movements of several off-season players.
The final terms of the Utah-Minnesota Agreement were: Patrick Beverly, Malik Beasley, Jared Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaru to Gobert to Timberwolves, rights to the newly formed Walker Kessler, Minnesota 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2027 first round selection in 2026.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith said Gobert “will be a permanent part of us.”
“Rudy Gobert’s nine seasons with the Jazz have had a huge impact on this franchise and the entire state of Utah,” Smith said. “One of the greatest defensive players in NBA history, Rudy will be considered the most important player to wear a jazz uniform. It is impossible to exaggerate his love for this community and its impact. “
The Jazz stepped down from coach Quinn Snyder last season after eight seasons and was replaced by former San Antonio and Boston assistant Will Hardy. Then came the Gobert trade, which ended an era in Utah. No team in the Western Conference has won more regular season games than the Jazz in the last six seasons, but have never had the same success since the season. Utah has reached the playoffs in those six years, not the second round.
“The winning window isn’t always big,” Gobert said. “That’s what happened to us in Utah. I think that’s what the organization felt. We’ve probably crossed that window many years ago. I think it’s still going to be a very competitive team. It was good.”
Probably against the Timberwolves. They haven’t seen a second round in nearly two decades, and Towns, Gobert, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell are all betting that they could be the focal point of change.
“The goal is to win the championship,” Gobert said. “I’m here for that. I’m not just here to be a good team. I’m here to take this team to the finals and make it happen.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.