“You look down your block and 1 of your neighbours has a brand new Mercedes-Benz” - Nick Wright says whole NBA is in trouble after Minnesota Timberwolves' trade for Rudy Gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves' trade for Rudy Gobert has caused problems for the entire NBA, according to analyst Nick Wright.
The Timberwolves acquired Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for guards Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, along with guard Leandro Bolmaro, draft rights to center Walker Kessler and Minnesota’s 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks and a 2026 first-round pick swap.
According to Wright, Minnesota gave up far too much for Gobert.
“The whole NBA is in trouble because of the nonsense the Timberwolves pulled. When you trade five first-round picks and five players for Rudy Gobert, it’s like it’s Valentines Day.
"You look down your block and 1 of your neighbours has a brand new Mercedes-Benz with a bow on it. Now all our wives are mad at us because we didn’t do what this doofus did.”
Could the Minnesota Timberwolves' trade for Gobert impact other moves in the offseason?
Wright outlined that the Minnesota Timberwolves set a bad precedent by giving up so much for one player. He feels other teams may take advantage of such a scenario.
For instance, Brooklyn are searching for a trade partner for Kevin Durant and might ask for an enormous amount in return. Durant is a much better player than Gobert, so he would command a much steeper price than the Frenchman.
Nick Wright explained:
“When the Timberwolves set the market for Rudy Gobert at five first round picks then the Nets are like, okay, we want Bridges, Ayton, plus 4 first round picks and 3 swaps [for Kevin Durant].”
Gobert has won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, tying him for second-most in NBA history. He and Karl-Anthony Towns can form a formidable partnership in Minnesota. They have playing styles that complement each other.
Having both of them under the rim on defense will give the Minnesota Timberwolves a huge edge over other teams.