When a huge trade occurs in the NBA, executives often choose a double or nothing, sacrificing the future to win in the moment. Unfortunately for an experienced Frenchman in the league, things haven’t quite gone as planned since his arrival. And some fans are (already) starting to lose patience…
Mortgage the future to win now, by swinging players and draft picks for the next few years? It is a technique certainly used in the NBA, but particularly risky. The Lakers are the perfect example, they who gave everything or almost to recover Anthony Davis. Sure, the title was won in 2020, but the California franchise is now bereft of draft picks, and its aging roster is worrying. Was the move worth it? Everyone has their own opinion on the matter.
Last offseason, it was the Wolves who attempted a similar move by securing the services of Rudy Gobert, late in the cycle at Utah. To afford the French, the Minnesota franchise did not skimp on the means, separating multiple picks, as well as valuable players appreciated in the locker room. The objective: to take Minny a step further, in order to make him a contender for the title. So far, it’s failed.
Rudy Gobert slashed, fans fear the worst
After around 20 games, many Wolves followers seem to have already given up on the idea of the French big man being the expected godsend. And on the networks, murderous tweets such as those below never stop multiplying:
Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves will go down as the worst trade in NBA History
— Greek God (Ladder Destroyer) (@MikeBootyholzer) November 29, 2022
Rudy Gobert’s trade to Wolves will be remembered as the worst in history
Worst Part About This Gobert Trade Is It’s Gonna Set Back Tha Franchise 10 Years….. We R So Close To Turnin Tha Corner That This Is Detrimental To Tha Franchise If It Doesn’t Work Out… Like We Will Never Recover From This
— No Rulez Alpo???????? (@1Alpo) November 29, 2022
The worst thing about this Rudy Gobert trade is that it will cost the franchise 10 years. We were so close to turning a corner that it’s very bad for the franchise if it doesn’t work out… We’ll never get over it
If pessimism seems to be in order for many Wolves fans, let’s still try to consider the positive. On the one hand, Gobert is an All-Star and multiple DPOY, no doubt capable of raising his game even further within this roster. The Frenchie knows that he can and must do better, he is working on it, and it is not excluded that the mayonnaise will end up taking on a much more significant effect.
Above all, the announcement of the big injury to Karl-Anthony Towns opens a new field of possibilities at the pivot. Freed from this strange line-up with two pivots, Rudy will be able to find his feelings in the racket, and, why not, start to be the player with 30 million dollars a year that the T-Wolves hoped for a few months ago. Anyway, that’s all we want.
Arrived with heavy expectations on his shoulders, Rudy Gobert did not really succeed in silencing the detractors for his first weeks in Minneapolis, quite the contrary. Let’s hope the Frenchman can manage to turn the tide before Karl-Anthony Towns returns. He and his team really need it.
