Wolves announce Gobert trade, to introduce him Wednesday afternoon

KSTP

FILE - Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert dunks against the Houston Rockets during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Feb. 14, 2022, in Salt Lake City. Gobert has been traded by the Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a massive package of players and draft picks, a person with knowledge of the blockbuster deal said. Utah is getting four first-round picks between 2023 and 2029, along with Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley and a first-round pick this year in Walker Kessler, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on Friday, July 1, 2022, on condition of anonymity because the NBA had not approved the deal and neither team could announce it publicly. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

It’s official: the Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired Rudy Gobert.

The team officially announced the blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz on Wednesday morning. The trade was initially reported Friday afternoon.

The organization plans to introduce Gobert and discuss the move during a press conference Wednesday at 4 p.m. KSTP Sports will stream that press conference live in this story.

Since it was first reported Friday afternoon, the trade has been widely debated by members of the NBA media.

The Timberwolves sent the Jazz guards Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley, forward Jarred Vanderbilt, former first-round pick Leandro Bolmaro, 2022 first-round pick Walker Kessler, future first-round draft picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and a top-five protected pick in 2029, as well as a first-round pick swap in 2026.

In exchange, the Wolves are getting a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s leading rebounder last year to pair with star Karl-Anthony Towns and ascending young talents in Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels as the organization looks to build on last year’s playoff berth that ended in a first-round exit at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Beverley played 58 games for the Wolves last season and averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

Beasley played in 130 games for the Wolves after he was acquired from the Denver Nuggets in 2020, averaging 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Vanderbilt played in 140 games since being acquired in the same trade from Denver with Beasley and averaged 6.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

Bolmaro played in 35 games last season for Minnesota, averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

Kessler averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.6 blocks per game at Auburn last year.