NBA – Mentioned in the KD soap opera, the notable update on Rudy Gobert at the Wolves

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

According to the latest rumors, Rudy Gobert’s name did indeed figure in the discussions between the Suns and Timberwolves regarding Kevin Durant. The French pivot even found himself at the heart of his franchise’s offer… albeit possibly reluctantly.

As had been feared for several months, he will not be pulling on the French national team jersey this summer for the Eurobasket. That hasn’t stopped him from having an extremely hectic start to the off-season. In addition to the personal turmoil, Rudy Gobert has recently had to deal with transfer rumors that he was the subject of… and which almost materialized.

Rudy Gobert unwanted by Wolves? An insider lifts the veil

Despite the major role he plays in the Timberwolves’ game and locker room, Gobert could have packed his bags in recent hours. Indeed, his managers reportedly included him in their final offer to recruit Kevin Durant, which ultimately fell through. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Suns were adamant in their negotiations and were desperate to get their hands on the French pivot:

Michael Scotto: The Suns were aggressive in their pursuit of pivots capable of upgrading the position on their team during the Durant negotiations. In particular, they tried to obtain Rudy Gobert, Jakob Poeltl and Kel’el Ware and may continue to look for big men who would represent an upgrade in their eyes.

The Minnesota front office would have been ready to give in to these demands… but would not have done so willingly:

Michael Scotto: The Minnesota Timberwolves had several concerns about a potential trade for Kevin Durant, which partly explains why the multiple All-Star didn’t land with the franchise.

In particular, they were wary of the fact that Minnesota was not on their list of preferred destinations. In addition, HoopsHype has learned that the Suns were keen to get Rudy Gobert back, and that the Wolves didn’t think it was ideal to lose their French defensive stalwart to Julius Randle and Kevin Durant in their defensive frontcourt.

Always valued for his remarkable defensive skills, Gobzilla is much more of a guarantee in this area than KD. As a result, he appears to be a much more complementary ally to Julius Randle in the racket. This would explain the Wolves’ reluctance to part with him, and may have enabled the Rockets to take the lead in this matter.