The Minnesota Timberwolves made a huge splash this offseason by trading for LaMelo Ball as a new co-star. Hope for the duo of Anthony Edwards and Ball to make them viable NBA Championship contenders see the rest of the roster questioned. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels are the other two extremely important members of the roster, but one of them could be on borrowed time.
NBA insider Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic shared the following on Gobert’s future in Minnesota:
“He is eligible for an extension. So far, I have not heard any sort of real momentum toward that happening immediately here. I think it is something that the team will explore, that maybe Rudy would look at as well, as he gets a little, you know, as he gets older.
We saw his last extension; he brought his number down a little bit more to make it more manageable to have a good team around him. I would imagine that if there was something to be done, it would be another scenario like that where his number, I think, is at 31 or 33 million now, maybe comes down annually, but he gets a little bit more long-term security with a multi-year extension.”
Gobert’s next contract is estimated to be in the low $30 million range, but that’s still a lot of money for a small market team investing big money elsewhere. Minnesota did shed the salaries of Julius Randle and Naz Reid to land Ball and a few other players.
Why Timberwolves Won’t Extend Rudy Gobert Now
The upcoming season will be pivotal for Minnesota to figure out the right pieces to remain there moving forward. Jonathan Kuminga joined the team on a short-term contract and clearly has the goal of raising his value with the Timberwolves.
Minnesota must see how LaMelo and Kuminga fit into the rotation and if they are long-term fits. Ball has some question marks with his injury woes dooming many seasons for the Charlotte Hornets as the main reason they traded him to the Timberwolves.
Kuminga struggled to fit into the Golden State Warriors’ winning system for years. Gobert likely gets his ideal contract if Kuminga fizzles out. However, the team thriving could see the Timberwolves asking Gobert to take a pay cut as the oldest player of this core when his contract expires.
Why Rudy Gobert Still Has Leverage
Minnesota trading their other great center and the starting power forward makes Gobert more valuable. Reid was moved to Charlotte, and Randle got traded to the Brooklyn Nets to make the salary cap work to add the talents they wanted.
However, this means Gobert is the only trustworthy big man currently on the roster. The Timberwolves hope to see youngster Joan Berginer become a respected backup, but he’s only 19 years old with minimal experience.
Gobert can prove his value this season and make it clear he wants his full extension to use the leverage. Minnesota sacrificed their center depth to take the chance on adding a dynamic point guard and younger power forward, but Rudy benefits most from this.
Rudy Gobert’s Future In Doubt With Minnesota Timberwolves