Charles Barkley called the Rudy Gobert trade one of the “stupidest” in NBA history. Barkley’s sentiments are not unique, and his arguments make sense. In the NBA legend’s words, Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns do not dominate in the paint enough to justify a two-big lineup.
There’s no doubt Gobert is one of the most elite rim protectors in the league right now. However, he can be game-planned out of games at times. What’s more, he cannot create his own shots, has no go-to post moves, and relies on offensive rebounds and spoon-fed lobs for his points.
So, did the Minnesota Timberwolves make the mortal sin of trading for Gobert over a year ago?
Details of the Rudy Gobert Trade
On July 7, 2022, the Utah Jazz big man was sent to Minnesota for an unprecedented haul. The Timberwolves sent over five players, four future first-round picks, and one pick swap.
Here are the players and assets the Jazz received for the Gobert trade:
- Malik Beasley
- Patrick Beverley
- Leandro Bolmaro
- Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick in 2022 Draft)
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- 2023 first-round pick
- 2025 first-round pick
- 2026 pick swap
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2029 first-round pick
At the time, the Wolves’ reasons for pulling the trigger were clear. They wanted an elite defender to protect the paint to make Towns more of an inside-out operator. Towns had the skills to make the pairing work in theory—decent handles for a big and a near 40 percent shooter from downtown.
Many did not understand the treasure trove of assets Minnesota had to give up. Almost every pundit gave the Wolves a failing score for the deal. For instance, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton thought the trade would make the Wolves a better regular-season team but will most likely struggle in the playoffs. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons took his thoughts to X and called the trade an “overpay” for Minnesota.
Many also praised Jazz general manager Danny Ainge for the “fleece of the century.” It didn’t help the Wolves’ case when Kessler, the seven-foot rookie center the Jazz got from the trade, is showing potential to be just as good as Gobert defensively. As many fans clamored, the assets the Wolves let go for an offensively limited, one-trick pony like Gobert was ridiculous.
Was the Rudy Gobert Trade A Death Sentence For the Wolves?
Fans overreact to things, and the Gobert trade is no exception. The Timberwolves barely made the playoffs in 2023 and had to go through two Play-In games before securing the eighth seed. They were middle of the pack in allowing paint points, 27th in rebounding rate, and 22nd in rebounds allowed per game. These are the categories Gobert is supposed to be good at.
Gobert was not a popular locker room presence either. In a Play-In game in the past season versus the New Orleans Pelicans, Gobert threw a punch at teammate Kyle Anderson during the bench huddle. In Utah, he was reportedly feuding with superstar guard Donovan Mitchell.
Considering these things, the numbers also indicate the Wolves are not as bad as people make them out to be. For example, last season, they were 10th in Defensive Rating and fourth in blocks per game. Former Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown even considered the Wolves their toughest matchup in the 2023 playoffs.
Common sense tells us the team will improve with more court time together. In the small sample size early in the 2023-24 season, the Wolves are No. 1 in Defensive Rating, No. 6 in rebounding rate, No. 5 in point paints allowed, and No. 2 in second chance points allowed. These are areas where Gobert shows his impact, and the numbers are reflecting it.
With time, it appears that the Timberwolves may not suffer as much long-term damage from this transaction as projected by so-called experts.
5 Worst Trades in NBA History
While the Wolves gave up almost an entire roster’s worth of players and picks, the Gobert trade is not as one-sided as it looks. Unless the Jazz picked up a hidden gem in those future drafts, chances are, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is the best piece involved in that transaction. You know how the rules work: the team that landed the best player won the trade.
With that being said, one-sided trades have happened in the NBA before. That may not be apparent when the deal happened, but it was often the attached draft picks that made the difference down the line. In hindsight, here are the five worst trades in NBA history.
Note: Some of the blockbuster trades in the early NBA, such as the Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trades, were primarily because of monetary reasons. Most teams during this era were not profitable and were, therefore, forced to trade their best players for money. More often than not, superstars command huge salaries, and teams cannot afford them.
Sonics Shipped Scottie Pippen to Chicago
It’s a clear indication that a trade is really bad for a team when they let go of a player who becomes a pillar for a dynasty. The Seattle Supersonics drafted Scottie Pippen in 1987 and dealt him to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.
Now, Polynice is not as bad as anyone thought. After all, someone who played 17 seasons in the NBA is no joke. Pippen, on the other hand, became a perennial All-Star and made multiple All-Defense and All-NBA teams. Most importantly, he was a six-time NBA champion with the Bulls.
Truth be told, we may never see a perimeter defender more intelligent and versatile than Pippen.
Moses Malone Traded Twice
Malone made his mark in the ABA, but it seemed like NBA teams were not convinced of his abilities. Evidently, he was traded twice by the Portland Trail Blazers and the Buffalo Braves without even finding out what they got in their hands. It’s as if Portland and Buffalo decided they just won’t give the guy a chance.
The Blazers got Malone in the 1976 dispersal draft for former ABA players. Since they had already drafted Maurice Lucas in the standard draft and had Bill Walton and Lloyd Neal in their big men rotation, Malone was the odd man out. The Braves also didn’t see anything special in him and traded him to the Houston Rockets after two games and six total playing minutes.
When the smoke cleared, Malone became a three-time league MVP, a Finals MVP, and a champion. He made 12 All-Star teams and eight All-NBA teams. He is also one of a few players who have jerseys retired for two separate NBA teams.
Dirk Nowitzki For a Guy Called “Tractor”
Dirk Nowitzki was a virtual unknown in a talented draft. However, somebody from the Dallas Mavericks saw his potential and began the machinations of acquiring him. They eventually did find a partner, the Milwaukee Bucks. The Mavericks let go of their sixth overall pick for two players, one of which was Nowitzki.
Now, Robert “Tractor” Traylor was a beast in college, but being nearly 500 pounds did not do him any favors. Meanwhile, Nowitzki steadily improved and peaked as an NBA MVP, 14-time All-Star, and 12-time All-NBA team member. Nowitzki was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Boston Celtics Fleeced the Brooklyn Nets in 2013
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were five years removed from a championship and three after their last Finals appearance. Still, there was no denying their days as first and second options were numbered.
For some reason, the Brooklyn Nets bit and traded for Garnett, Pierce, and Jason Terry. In exchange, the Celtics got four players and four first-round picks. Now, there’s no guarantee that the draft picks turned out to be something, but the Celtics struck gold in 2017. They selected Jayson Tatum and used one of those picks to acquire Kyrie Irving in 2018. Irving bolted out later, but Tatum has become one of the league’s premier players.
Hawks Trade Bill Russell for Ed McCauley and Cliff Hagan
Not many know this, but the legendary Celtic was a St. Louis Hawk momentarily. The Hawks drafted Russell and traded him for Ed McCauley and Cliff Hagan for allegedly two reasons. One, the Hawks were setting their sights on McCauley, a St. Louis native. He wanted to return home to take care of his sick son.
The second reason was a bit controversial because of racial overtones. It appears Russell wanted no part of St. Louis, a city famous for treating black players with disgust and often resorting to name-calling. John Taylor corroborated this belief in his book “The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball.” When the Hawks drafted Russell, the roster consisted solely of white players.
We know too well how this turned out. The Hawks won the championship in 1958, but Russell led Boston to 11 titles in 13 seasons from 1957 to 1969.
Conclusion: Is the Rudy Gobert Trade the Worst in NBA History?
Trades are as common as muck in the NBA. There were always winners and losers in these transactions, although there are occasional deals that benefit both sides.
In recent memory, the Gobert trade is one of the most highly-criticized swaps. That’s because the Wolves gave up four draft picks and five players to acquire the French center. However, in hindsight, it’s too early to tell. Gobert fits the Wolves’ timeline at 31 years old and will only get comfortable playing with Towns and Anthony Edwards. He will never be a floor spacer because of his lack of shooting, but players of his defensive pedigree are few and far between.