One Year Later: Grading the Rudy Gobert trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves

Dec 9, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) and Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) battle in the first half at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Future outlook for the Utah Jazz

For this trade, the Utah Jazz are made. Especially off this trade. The Jazz landed not just a promising big in Walker Kessler, but off of the first pick acquired from the ‘Wolves got Keyonte George. George excelled in the Summer League and has many thinking he may push for a starting job either this year or next.

If those two young men turn into stars and nothing else from this trade develops, those two players could fortify the Jazz for the next 10-15 years. Coupled with the other draft picks that the T-Wolves sent over, plus the players that were also shipped out following the deal, this trade may set the Jazz up for not just the next decade, but the next decades to come.

Future outlook for The Minnesota Timberwolves

Yikes. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns did not mesh well, but that’s not surprising, as Towns doesn’t seem to gel well with guys like Gobert or Jimmy Butler. Anytime you pair him with a defensive-minded player, things get rocky. Anthony Edwards seems to be the real deal, however, and could be the playmaker needed to take the Timberwolves to the next level. So while they gave up a lot to get Gobert, they can easily pivot, recoup some assets and stay the course with Edwards as their centerpiece.

The Wolves do not have a bleak future at all, they just don’t have the room needed to improve this team as needed, unless they opt to trade Gobert or Towns.