Least you would trade Rudy for?

[BloopOracle]

Let's say that they run it back with the two center lineup for next season since we didn't get to see much this season, and it doesn't work. You have the option of going with status quo or moving him for pennies on the dollar. What would be the lowest return that would convince you to move Rudy instead of continuing to run him out there?

[Carlos Danger]

Let's say that they run it back with the two center lineup for next season since we didn't get to see much this season, and it doesn't work. You have the option of going with status quo or moving him for pennies on the dollar. What would be the lowest return that would convince you to move Rudy instead of continuing to run him out there?

My opinion...probably two 1st round picks plus a rotational player. Or not even half of what we gave up. Which is why I don't think they will ever deal Rudy as long as Connelly is here. It would be a Public Relations punch in the face. Connelly is going to try and ram a Rudy led team into the playoffs. If it doesn't work, Connelly will be gone, followed by Rudy. Then a new guy will bring in his own people/players and it's back to zero.

[60WinTim]

I'll give you an opinion after this season plays out... ;-)

We can re-hash all the reasons we have not seen the same Rudy that played in Utah all those years. We need him to regain some of his former self to either 1) have a chance to be a contender, or 2) have a chance to move him. I don't see how he can be moved as things stand right now -- he is signed to big $s for 3 more years and we have no first round picks to entice someone to take on that contract. ANT and Jayden have made nice strides, Conely is here and JMac is back. Hopefully KAT returns soon after the all-star break and we will have good stretch of games to see the chemistry develop and make a push for a playoff run.

[Coolbreeze44]

An unprotected first and a good young player with the potential to be an all star

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

o Mitchell Robinson (productive young big + salary), Evan Fournier (salary), Immanuel Quickley (productive young guard), and three future first-round picks (two to compensate for Gobert, one for taking back Fournier)

o Tim Hardaway Jr. (rotation player + salary), Maxi Kleber (rotation player + salary), Jaden Hardy (high-ceiling guard prospect), and two first-round picks

o Ben Simmons (former All-NBA + salary) and two first-round picks

[Lipoli390]

Good question, Bloop. But it's hard to answer in the abstract. I'd be satisfied with getting what Carlos suggested, i.e., two firsts and a rotation player. Realistically, I those at least one and probably both picks would be protected - maybe top 5 on one and top 10 on the other.

Part of my thinking on what I'd be willing to accept turns on what we could potentially get for him. It's hard to know what the market for Rudy is right now. No other team was going to give up what the Wolves gave up last summer and Rudy's value is even lower now. Toronto was one of the teams interested in him last summer, but having acquired Poeltl, they're probably no long in the market for Rudy. The Knicks and Heat are a couple teams that might be interested in him. Maybe the Mavs - adding interior defense to go with their perimeter offense from Luka and Kyrie. I honestly can't think of any others.

It's easier for me to answer your question with some hypotheticals. I like Cam's three hypotheticals. Here are some possible trades with the Knicks:

1. Knicks Hyopthetical #1:
Wolves Trade: Rudy
Wolves Get: Barrett, Toppin, Rose, Milwaukee 2025 1st (top 4 protected), Detroit 2024 2nd
Comment: Barrett is the main value here. Not sure how well he fits with the Wolves

2. Knicks Hypothetical #2
Wolves trade: Rudy and Knight
Wolves Get: Robinson, Fournier, Quickly or Grimes, Knicks 2025 1st (top 4 protected), Milwaukee 2025 1st (top 4 protected), Detroit 2024 2nd
Comment: Robinson and Quickly would be the main value here. Robinson's age fits well with Ant & Jaden. Fit with KAT? Quickly could be our young PG of the future even though he's listed as a SG. Fournier is negative value with 2 years left on his deal. I don't think we could get two first round picks in this package. So it would more likely be one of the two first rounders and the Detroit 2nd.

3. Knicks Hypothetical #3
Wolves trade: Rudy and Knight
Wolves Get: Hart, Rose, Toppin, Knicks 2025 pick, Bucks 2025 pick (top 4 protected), Detroit 2024 2nd
Comment: Main value here consists of Hart (excellent rebounder) and the picks

4. Knicks Hypo #4;
Wolves trade Rudy and Knight
Wolves get: Robinson, Rose, Quickly and Bucks 2025 1st or Detroit's 2024 2nd
Comment: Probably not realistic to get Robinson and Quickly along with picks.

5. Knicks Hypo #5:
Wolves trade Rudy & Knight
Wolves get: Randle, Hart, Quickly, Milwaukee 2025 1st (top 4 protected), Detroit 2024 2nd
Comment: Not sure whether the Knicks still consider Randle a negative given the season he's having. He wouldn't fit well on the Wolves. The value here for the Wolves would be Quickly, Hart and the two picks. The 2024 Detroit 2nd should be in the 30s.

[Jester1534]

I think we should let Kat and Rudy play more than 15 games and then trade them. How do you know something doesn't work with such small sample size. I swear this board makes it sounds like we're the Houston Rockets sometimes.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I think we should let Kat and Rudy play more than 15 games and then trade them. How do you know something doesn't work with such small sample size. I swear this board makes it sounds like we're the Houston Rockets sometimes.

For me, it's less about seeing if the two of them can work and more about seeing the individual decline of Rudy Gobert, as well as optimizing Anthony Edwards. I don't think Gobert was ever a great fit for Edwards' game as a slasher. Not to mention, the financial ramifications of keeping Gobert long-term on his supermax contract are real. That's a lot of cap to tie up in a player who may not even be worth half of what he gets paid as soon as next season.

If this team gets fully healthy, I would expect them to win enough games to where some may consider this season a success, especially given the injuries, but there are signs that Gobert is no where near the same player he was just a year ago and may trend further downwards every season moving forward. He has not been dominant to this point. He has been an awkward and clunky fit, and an absolute anchor offensively in a bad way. Moving him while he still has some positive value could actually be the right move.

With that said, I think Tim Connelly would trade Karl-Anthony Towns for Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O'Neal -- putting the Jazz team back together -- before he'd move Gobert this off-season. He is going to make Gobert fit even if it means moving everything around him.

[FNG]

I think we should let Kat and Rudy play more than 15 games and then trade them. How do you know something doesn't work with such small sample size. I swear this board makes it sounds like we're the Houston Rockets sometimes.

Yep, definitely this. Not only do we need to see how Rudy pairs with 40% 3-point shooting KAT rather than the 30% version we saw earlier in the season, but we also need to see how his game picks up now that we have Conley, who he flourished with. If this healthy Wolves roster continues to underperform the expectations many of us had pre-season (my God...just look at the wins prediction thread!), then I'll be ready to play the "let's trade one of (likely future HOF) bigs". But as for right now, it seems quite premature in my opinion.

[D-Mac [enjin:19736340]]

I'm sorry, I honestly don't even think you can expect him to return one first round pick right now. Obviously it depends on the players coming back, but if you're getting one good starter and one young upside player back, I don't really think I'd expect a first, maybe a couple seconds. If you're getting a couple guys back with negative value, then sure, maybe a first or two comes back.

Maybe he'll turn it around here the rest of the season, but I kind of think it'll only get worse when he's starting next to Kat.

Maybe I'm being too pessimistic, idk. I just don't think he's all the good. If I'm TC, I would have swallowed my pride and traded him at the deadline for the best deal possible. I mean with that contract, does Rudy even have possible value around the league right now? Probably some, but what about this time next year?