The NBA is currently a guard/wing dominated league, but sometimes you have to go against the norm to win a title. The Minnesota Timberwolves apparently will try to do so. Despite having an All-Star center in Karl-Anthony Towns, the Wolves have acquired All-Star center and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz'in a trade. Caesars Sportsbook moved the Wolves from +8000 to +5000 to win the 2023 NBA title and the Jazz from +5000 to +10000.
The Jazz are receiving Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley , Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and multiple first-round picks in the deal: Unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, and 2027, along with a top-five protected 2029 first-rounder and a pick swap in 2026. That's a crazy amount – just think of think what the Nets may get for Kevin Durant.
Three centers in NBA history have signed $200 million contracts. The Timberwolves now have two of them in Gobert and Towns (who just signed his super-max extension).
Clearly, this means two things: KAT will shift to a power forward role most of the time with Minnesota and Utah has kick-started a rebuild after already losing Coach Quin Snyder. It was well-known that Gobert and All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell didn't get along. The move probably means that Mitchell is staying put. It's not often that division rivals agree on such a big trade.