Rudy Gobert recognized that if he opted into his player option that would have been worth close to $47MM this offseason, it would have hindered the chances of the Timberwolves re-signing key pieces in Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle. That’s why, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, he sought after a “win-win” deal in re-signing for the three-year, $110MM deal that has an annual average value of $36.7MM.
“My next year contract was really high,” Gobert said. “So being able to allow the team to keep our guys, that was the win for the Timberwolves. But being able to keep me for a longer term was great for both of us.”
According to Krawczynski, Gobert recognizes that his best shot at a championship might be continuing to develop what the Wolves built upon last year in their trip to the Western Conference Finals. From the sound of it, he wasn’t interested in potentially opting out of that previous deal and signing elsewhere to chase rings with another team.
The two sides were actually close to not agreeing to a deal, per Krawczynski, as Gobert sought a four-year deal that the Wolves weren’t able to offer. But just moments before opening night tipped off, Gobert agreed to the extension after thinking about his appreciation for coach Chris Finch, respect for teammate Anthony Edwards and the fact that he wanted to help his teammates get paid.
“It’s never been about money, but even more at this point in my career, it’s about being where I feel at home and where I can win championships,” Gobert said. “These guys, from players to coaches to organization embrace me and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be the best version of myself on and off the court, and also make me grow.”
This is another unique example as to how the NBA’s strict guidelines for over-apron teams are impacting decision making. The Wolves already traded long-time franchise staple Karl-Anthony Towns to shed future salary, and Gobert’s decision to sacrifice short-term money showed he recognized the need for long-term security and a better chance to win and support his teammates in this newer era.
“For him to think about the next person, that’s dope,” Reid said. “That’s really unselfish. I know a lot of people wouldn’t do that, but he would. He’s showing it now. I’m happy that he’s thinking about me and this team. That means he wants to win.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Reid will continue to step more into the spotlight after a successful Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season. In an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, The longest tenured Timberwolves player discussed the added responsibilities he’ll face with Towns out of the picture. “I’m super comfortable,” Reid said. “Me and KAT do a lot of similar things. With him being here and gone, it’s the same thing for me and the same mentality. I kind of view it as the same thing. More minutes. Same thing, though. Next man up. That’s my mentality.“
- Christian Braun‘s young basketball career has been defined by winning. He won three straight state titles in high school, helped Kansas to an NCAA championship in his final collegiate season before helping the Nuggets win their first championship in franchise history in his rookie season. That all led him to the point of potentially starting as Denver’s shooting guard this season, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. If he does start in the team’s Thursday opener, it will mark just his 11th career start.
- Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic found himself often playing alongside the second unit in staggered lineups during the preseason. One of the most natural fits for a lineup that includes Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric, Jokic is embracing the idea of mixing up the rotations a bit more this season, according to a separate post from Durando. “I think we should do that in a game, just to give teams (a) different look,” Jokic said. “I like it, just to play with somebody else. And why not?“
- Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was highly critical of his team after they lost by 35 points in the season opener to the Warriors, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin. “I didn’t think one guy on our team played well in the game,” Billups said. “Man, it was crazy. It felt like we were two steps slow on everything. Defensively, offensively, we just waited to react to everything, and you can’t do that against a team like that. They beat us at every facet of the game. Every loose ball, they were the first team there. Getting down the floor after makes and after misses. Every single facet of the game, they beat us.“
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