Gobert Sits Courtside At Minnesota Lynx Game After Trade
Jul 6, 2022, 1:54 PM | Updated: 3:52 pm
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Rudy Gobert wasted little time familiarizing himself with Minnesota after he was traded to the Timberwolves on Wednesday.
The former Utah Jazz star was spotted courtside at the Minnesota Lynx game just hours after the trade was formally announced.
Gobert landed in Minnesota on Wednesday morning and quickly headed to watch the Lynx as they hosted the Chicago Sky.
Rudy Gobert landed in Minnesota and went straight to the Target Center for the Lynx game 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5OBGSG3ykI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 6, 2022
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year got a warm welcome in his new city as he was shown on the jumbotron sitting near the floor at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Gobert was introduced to the Lynx audience by the in-arena announcer.
The newest Timberwolves member waved to the crowd and bowed his head to show his appreciation for his new fans.
Rudy Gobert gets a warm welcome from Target Center for the first time at today’s Lynx game! pic.twitter.com/FYmZWWWauB
— Charlie Walton (@twolveswave) July 6, 2022
The Jazz sent Gobert to the Timberwolves in return for a massive haul that includes five players and a significant cache of draft assets.
Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Balmaro, and rookie Walker Kessler will join the Jazz, while the Timberwolves will also send unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027.
The Jazz will also get a 2029 first-round pick that is top-five protected, and the rights to swap draft picks with the Timberwolves in 2026.
Since 2016, Gobert has been named to six consecutive All-Defensive first teams, he’s earned four All-NBA honors, three All-Star nods, and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award three times.
During the stretch, he averaged 14.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. He led the NBA in field goal percentage three of the six seasons, led the NBA in blocks per game in 2016-17, and led the league in rebounds per game last year.
The two teams agreed to the trade last week shortly after free agency opened, but to the transaction wasn’t made official until Wednesday. The Jazz have yet to introduce their new acquisitions.
