By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Three-time Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star Rudy Gobert is officially a player of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The French center joined his new team in a trade from the Utah Jazz that also included former Barcelona wing Leandro Bolmaro.
Per Timberwolves:
The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired center Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guards Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, along with guard Leandro Bolmaro, the draft rights to center Walker Kessler and Minnesota’s 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first round picks and a 2026 first round pick swap.
Gobert, 30, has appeared in 611 regular season games (519 starts) in nine NBA seasons with the Jazz, averaging 12.4 points on 65.3% shooting, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. The 7-1 center played in 66 games (all starts) last season, averaging 15.6 points on a career-high 71.3% shooting, a career-best 14.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. His 71.3% (362-of-508) from the field led the NBA during the 2021-22 season and per the Elias Sports Bureau, he joined Wilt Chamberlain (1972-73) and DeAndre Jordan (3x, MR: 2016-17) as the only players in NBA history to shoot 70% or better from the field on 500+ shots. In addition to leading the NBA last season in rebounding and shooting percentage, Gobert ranked second in double-doubles (53) and third in blocks (2.1). He’s seen action in 49 career playoff games (all starts) with averages of 13.4 points on 66.2% shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
The Saint-Quentin, France native is a four-time All-NBA selection (Second Team in 2017, Third Team in 2019, 2020 and 2021), a three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2018, 2019, 2021), a three-time NBA All-Star (2020, 2021, 2022) and a six-time All-Defensive First Team selection (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). Gobert has played in the last two Olympics for France, leading the French National Team to a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the 2020 Olympics, he averaged 12.2 points on 63.6% shooting and 9.3 rebounds, earning him a spot on the Men’s Basketball All-Star Five.
Gobert was originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Acquired via trade from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 25, 2021, Beverley appeared in 58 games (54 starts) for the Wolves last season, averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He holds career averages of 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 10 NBA seasons.
Acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the Nuggets on Feb. 5, 2020, Beasley appeared in 130 games (68 starts) for Minnesota over three seasons, averaging 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He holds career averages of 10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in seven NBA seasons.
Acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the Nuggets on Feb. 5, 2020, Vanderbilt appeared in 140 games (97 starts) for Minnesota over three seasons, averaging 6.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He holds career averages of 5.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in five NBA seasons.
Bolmaro appeared in 35 games last season for Minnesota, averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. He was originally acquired by the Timberwolves via a trade with the New York Knicks on Nov. 20, 2020.
Kessler averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game as a sophomore at Auburn University. His draft rights were originally acquired via trade during the 2022 NBA Draft from the Grizzlies.