Rudy Gobert’s time with the Utah Jazz has officially come to an end. The big Frenchman, who spent 9 seasons in Salt Lake City, has now found a new home in Minnesota after the Jazz traded him to the Timberwolves for multiple players and picks.
A breakup potentially looked to be on the cards after rumors surfaced about him not being on the best of terms with co-star Donovan Mitchell. After the Jazz were eliminated in the first round by the Mavericks, changes were inevitable. Once the news broke, Gobert posted a heartfelt message on social media in which he thanked Utah and stated that the community will always have a special place in his heart.
Utah!!! I was just a kid from France when i got here 9 years ago… pic.twitter.com/TKmQ6tC4dH
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) July 2, 2022
For all the criticism aimed at Gobert during his time with the Jazz, it is important to not forget all the great things he accomplished with the team. He anchored what was one of the better defenses in the league at various points during his time there and won 3 Defensive Player of the Year awards. He played a big role in lifting up a franchise that had been rocked by Jerry Sloan’s retirement as well as the Deron Williams trade, and while they were never able to win it all, they had a period of sustained success that is to be appreciated.
Gobert now heads to a team that is brimming with young talent headlined by Anthony Edwards, and he gets paired with Karl-Anthony Towns in the frontcourt. The two will form the newest Twin Towers in the NBA as they look to take the Timberwolves past the first round for the first time since 2004.
As for Utah, they apparently saw Gobert’s contract as a hindrance to team-building, and we’ll see if they plan to build this team around Mitchell or if they trade him too to kickstart a full-blown rebuild.
