Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to a three-year, $110 million contract extension. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
News of the deal broke just minutes before the Timberwolves opened their season Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal secures Gobert’s services in Minnesota during the prime of his career as he begins his third season with the Timberwolves.
Gobert, 32, came to Minnesota during the 2022 offseason in a surprising trade with the Utah Jazz. The Timberwolves parted ways with a package that included four first-round picks to acquire Gobert on a roster that already featured an established All-Star center in Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns moved to power forward as the Timberwolves ran with two bigs on their front line and eventually became a contender in the West with the rise of Anthony Edwards. After taking third place and advancing to the Western Conference finals last season, it was Towns who ended up being the odd man out.
The Timberwolves traded Towns to the New York Knicks this offseason for a package that included Julius Randle, leaving the spot as Gobert’s only one in Minnesota’s starting lineup.
Gobert remains one of the most dominant defensive forces in the game, earning his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award last season while averaging 14 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game.