Tim Connelly went to Minnesota and set his sights on building a team that could take down Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. In many ways, he has succeeded, as the Wolves have been a thorn in Denver’s side, eliminating them from the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, but they haven’t been able to advance beyond that either time.
With teams like the Thunder and Spurs passing the Nuggets and Wolves in recent years, Minnesota appears to be hunting for changes around Anthony Edwards, and that may start with sending out the player who just came as close to dominating Nikola Jokic in a series as we’ve ever seen, Rudy Gobert.
According to recent reports from Sam Amick and Jake Fischer, the Timberwolves are showing strong interest in Derrick White, and the Celtics have been interested in Gobert. Fischer added that the Wolves may not necessarily be shopping the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, but they are “exploratory and open-minded” about shaking up the roster around Edwards.
That kind of trade would represent a massive structural shift for the Wolves, away from their towering front line that’s built around Gobert, Naz Reid, and Julius Randle, but it appears that they are at least considering it.
Gobert heading East would be welcome sight for Jokic
While this trade could ultimately make the Wolves roster better, it would be great news for the Nuggets to see Gobert headed East. For all the recent surging from Oklahoma City and San Antonio, it has been the Timberwolves who have had the Nuggets’ number more than any other team.
Without Gobert, they simply aren’t the same team and won’t pose nearly the same kind of threat to Denver. They may be better in other ways, and they may add another center, but Reid and Randle are no match for the Joker, and frankly, nobody in the league is going to be able to contain him like Rudy just did in the first round.
So, the idea of running it back may not sound particularly appealing to Nuggets fans, but the one team that has truly had their number dismantling itself would certainly make that easier to stomach.
Denver would certainly still have work to do, and Minnesota adding another elite perimeter defender in White would only enhance the need to add another capable ballhandler next to Jamal Murray, but still, Gobert getting out of the division would be a welcome gift for the Nuggets.
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