Before the Luka Doncic blockbuster redefined the term "shocking trade" in sports, there was the summer of Rudy Gobert.
On July 1, 2022, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was on his way to Minnesota. And in return, the Timberwolves were trading away a smorgasbord of assets—almost an unprecedented package for an elite defensive player who wasn't much of a scorer. It was the first big move by new president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who was going all-in on boosting the Timberwolves' defense and bumping up the timeline around budding star Anthony Edwards.
Utah is trading Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
The reaction to the trade was a consensus WTF. Fans, media pundits and even former and current players bashed the Timberwolves' bold move. Some crowned it the worst trade of all time. Here are the full details:
Timberwolves receive:
- Rudy Gobert
Jazz receive:
- 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
Three years later, now that a handful of the first-round picks have been used by the Jazz, let's take a closer look at how exactly this trade is aging:
Timberwolves receive: Rudy Gobert
At the time of the trade, Gobert was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Star. The Timberwolves were coming off a first-round exit in the playoffs in Anthony Edwards's first postseason run.
Gobert is far from a perfect basketball player. He's hard to watch at times offensively and might have the worst hands in the NBA. But he has transformed the Wolves defensively and helped push them to unforeseen heights in the franchise's 36 years of existence. Gobert, who won Defensive Player of the Year for a fourth time two years ago, is still the perennial rim protector in the NBA. The Timberwolves have finished in the top 10 in defensive rating in all three of his seasons in Minnesota, and they boasted the NBA's top-ranked defense in 2023-24.
Before Gobert arrived, the Timberwolves had advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once in franchise history, a run to the 2004 Western Conference finals. With the core of Gobert, Edwards and now Julius Randle, Minnesota has reached the conference finals in back-to-back years.
Grade: A-. Yes, the Gobert trade looked like a giant overpay at the time. But it's led to the most successful era in Timberwolves history.
Jazz receive: Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt
Beasley and Vanderbilt suited up for a combined 107 games in a Jazz uniform in the 2022-23 season before being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the three-team D'Angelo Russell trade with the Wolves in February 2023.
In that Russell deal, the Jazz received guard Russell Westbrook, forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center Damian Jones and a protected 2027 first-round pick. Utah waived Westbrook right away, allowing him to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. Toscano-Anderson and Jones both left Utah the following season.
Grade: D. To sum it up, all that remains from the Beasley and Vanderbilt pieces of the Gobert trade is a top-four protected 2027 first-round pick. Picks are nice, but only landing what is likely a late first-round pick in exchange for the best two basketball pieces sent to Utah in the trade is a disappointment.
Jazz receive: Patrick Beverley
Beverley's tenure in Minnesota will always be remembered for his emotional reaction for advancing past the, uh, play-in tournament. His stint in Utah was less memorable. Beverley never arrived in Salt Lake City and instead was traded to the Lakers in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson later that summer. Johnson was waived and out of the NBA in a year. "THT," who Lakers fans once tried to convince the rest of the basketball world that he was their best trade asset, played two seasons in Utah and averaged 10.5 points and 3.6 assists per game.
Grade: D. Horton-Tucker was a nice player for two years, but hardly a piece to help the team rebuild.
Jazz receive: Leandro Bolmaro
A former first-round pick by the New York Knicks, Bolmaro appeared in 14 games for Utah in 2022-23 but was out of the NBA the following year.
Grade: F. An intriguing throw-in to the trade that didn't pan out.
Jazz receive: Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick in 2022 draft)
For a few months, it looked like the Jazz got the better end of the deal just trading Kessler for Gobert straight up. Gobert struggled to fit in and gain chemistry with the Wolves, especially when D'Angelo Russell was his point guard before the trade for Mike Conley. Meanwhile, the Jazz got out to a surprising 10-3 start in 2022-23 and Kessler finished third in Rookie of the Year voting that season behind Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams, two players who went on to be All-Stars.
Unfortunately for Utah, Kessler hasn't continued on that star trajectory like Banchero and Williams. But at this point, he is the most proven asset the Jazz received for Gobert.
Grade: B+. Kessler might not be an All-Star, but he'll be an NBA player for a long time.
Jazz receive: Keyonte George (No. 16 pick in 2023 draft)
George had a promising rookie season, averaging 13.0 points and 4.4 assists while working his way into the Jazz's starting five. Like Kessler, though, he didn't progress as expected in his second season. The 21-year-old began the year as Utah's starting point guard but ended up transitioning to a role off the bench. His overall stats went up—16.8 points and 5.6 assists per game—but he was hot and cold all year and didn't do a great job hiding his frustration when things weren't going his way.
Grade: B. George still showed some promise in Year 2.
Jazz receive: Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18 pick in 2025 draft)
The Jazz used the Timberwolves' 2025 selection— No. 21—to trade up to No. 18 and select former Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. The 22-year-old isn't known for his defense, but he's a fantastic shooter and averaged 18.3 points per game on 38.6% shooting from downtown as a senior. With Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson now out of town, there should be plenty of opportunities for Clayton to make an impact in Utah's backcourt as a rookie.
Grade: B+. We should know what type of player Clayton can be by the end of his rookie year.
Jazz receive: Future first-round picks
There are still three picks to be decided in this trade: the 2026 pick swap (which Utah won't utilize unless things go drastically south for Minnesota in 2025-26), and first-round selections in 2027 and '29. Based on the Timberwolves' trajectory with Edwards entering his prime as one of the best players in basketball, they should be late-round picks. But you never know. The Jazz could also package up those assets to acquire a more proven talent to surround their new core of Lauri Markkanen and No. 5 pick Ace Bailey.
Grade: A.
So, who is winning the Gobert trade?
- Timberwolves GPA: 3.7
- Jazz GPA: 2.2
Right now, the Gobert trade is tilting in Minnesota's favor. Two things can be true: It was an overpay for an elite yet flawed player, and it's worked out incredibly well on the floor and pushed the Wolves to new heights. As for the Jazz? They can tilt the trade back in their favor by developing George and Clayton as well as nailing their remaining picks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rudy Gobert Trade, Three Years Later: Are Timberwolves or Jazz Winning the Deal?.
