The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed Rudy Gobert to a three-year, $110 million extension, according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who reports that Gobert will decline his $46.6M player option next season to begin this extension, which will run through 2028.
Do the math and this new extension will pay Gobert, 32, an average annual salary of a little under $37M, which trims $10M off Minnesota's books next season from what would've been Gobert's player option. Essentially, Gobert, who averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last season, is taking less money next season in exchange for two extra years of security.
Gobert, who won his fourth Defensive Player of the Year trophy last season, is the anchor of a Wolves defense that became the No. 1-ranked unit in the league last season en route to an appearance in the Western Conference finals.
After the trade of Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves are no longer operating with a two-big starting lineup as Julius Randle moves in alongside Gobert. But we'll still see plenty of Gobert next to another shooting big in Naz Reid.
With this extension, the Timberwolves are committing to an Anthony Edwards-Gobert inside-out core for the foreseeable future. With the physical, athletic perimeter defenders the Wolves possess, having Gobert as a backline protector has the makings of what should be one of the best -- if not the best -- defenses in the league.
Minnesota will lean on that defense every night while Edwards aims to lift the offense to a championship level.