Rudy Gobert inks $110M Timberwolves extension
The Timberwolves have locked in Rudy Gobert to a new deal.
Shortly before Minnesota kicked off their 2024-25 season in Los Angeles, Gobert agreed to a three-year, $110 million contract extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
The deal was finalized just before tipoff the Timberwolves’ 110-103 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday night and came after Gobert had declined a $46.6 million player option for 2025-26.
“I think it was about finding a win-win situation,” he said. “I’m happy here. My family is happy here. I want to win a championship here — and also, my next year’s contract was really high. So (it was) about to allow the team to keep our guys, and also that was the win for the Timberwolves, but to keep me for a longer term was great for both of us. And also just giving me more stability long-term, I think, was what we were looking for.
“So I’m really grateful, I’m really happy, and now the goal is still the same. Regardless if we would have had a deal or not, the goal is to win a championship.”
The contract extension includes a player option for 2027-28 and a trade kicker, according to the report.
“I think it’s about finding balance,” Gobert said, referring to the extension. “Every year, every time I sign a contract, I always try to leave a little bit for the team, be able to realize that I’m grateful to be able to play on what I’m earning. Being from where I come from, it’s an amazing blessing, and at the same time, being able to not be too greedy and leave some on the table for our competitiveness as a team. I think it’s important. I’m grateful that I’ve had great people around me.”
Getting a deal done with Gobert that keeps him in the Twin Cities for the long haul had been a priority of Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who had said as much late last month to reporters.
“We’ve had some nice discussions with Rudy. Certainly, we want him to be here as long as he wants to be here. And we hope he ends his career here,” Connelly said at the time.
The T-Wolves star is coming off his eighth consecutive season in which he averaged a double-double.
In 76 regular season games last year, Gobert had averaged 14.0 points and 12.9 rebounds along with 2.1 blocks per game.
He had played a massive role in the Timberwolves’ run to the Western Conference Finals, marking just the second time in franchise history they advanced past the first round.
Gobert has been named an NBA All-Star three times and has been an All-NBA selection four times over his 11 years in the league.
The Frenchman was selected by the Jazz in the 2013 NBA Draft and was traded to the Timberwolves in 2022 as part of a blockbuster deal.
— with AP
