Rudy suspended (by Minny) for the 7v8 play-in game. Doubt the league/refs would've let the Lakers lose that anyway, but still a big call to suspend him. Pretty good summation of Minnesota's season, it seems.

I wondered how much of a factor was his injury. If he was fully fit, would they still sit him? Or if it was an elimination?

McDaniels is a dead set dill. A huge improvement season chucked in by punching an inanimate object.

How to reduce your future income in a single stroke.

Seems that Gobert seems to be disliked by teammates a lot. After that punch Taurean Prince went straight after him, not in a peacemaking way. And the problems with Mitchell in Utah.
Worst front office for the last few years, first the Warriors trade then get rid of Russell for virtually nothing. Then Ainge fleecing them for all those draft picks when they already had a big piece in KAT. And a ready made replacement for Gobert.
Feel sorry for Minnesota fans, just feels hard to get behind that team apart from Edwards. Only thing they could do is trade KAT now for picks, player and a good veteran to come in and lay the law down.
Miami will probably swoop in and send Robinson and late first rounders. That could be a team to watch them if KAT is introduced to Miami's culture, and Minnesota probably dumb to do it.

That's the saddest thing - mortgage the future to get Gobert and now wonder if they even want him. And have the sense that KAT might not be the guy you build a contender around.

Mavs should try to pinch Gobert from them, though who knows what with.

Maybe a Kyrie straight up, both seem cancerous to teams, swap one bad apple for another and they do feel needs for both. But would Luka feel that's enough for him to stay, French centre that's a bit of a dick. Be interesting if they keep their pick depending on lottery.

That Gobert trade was an immensely bad trade for Minnesota.

It's tough for small market teams in the NBA but my goodness, giving away 5 players and 3 to 5 first round picks (my understanding is only 3 were unconditional) for him... just, abysmal. Timberwolves fans should be pissed

Like you said LV small market teams can't lure big name FA's and Minnesota has always been the team black players hate getting traded to the most because of how cold it is there. I'm not excusing their continued poor decisions they've always been a joke franchise since they came into the NBA but they're up against it trying to be competitive against big market teams like the Lakers who get whatever FA/trade target they want.

That's the context in how things like the Gobert trade happen, they wouldn't have had much chance landing him as a FA so they have to pay serious overs to get him via trade.

I always remember Longley saying how utterly depressing it was for him playing the first few years of his NBA career in Minnesota, the freezing cold, players having to shovel snow every morning to leave the house and combined with the ineptitude of the Wolves organisation.

New high profile but inexperienced ownership comes in, demands big things and opens the chequebook to hire a big name GM (Connelly from Denver) to make said move. That leads to the pressure to do something and oh there's Ainge + Utah ready to move Gobert. Recipe for disaster. New ownership, same shit for Minnesota.

They blew it up to get Laker'd by the refs and no shooting lol

Yeah I've been to Minny and its....basically the most boring and forgettable city in North America from my experience. Can't imagine having to live there.

Gobert moved to Minneapolis after enduring ten years of Salt Lake City.

I'd be underperforming as well.

haha thats fair. I havent been to SLC but from appearances at least there is some interesting geography there, if not a lot of anything else.

I was in SLC last year (on a 10-week adventure/camping trip, essentially). On the surface, bit of a monoculture but the locals we knew (non-Mormons) said the cultural scene was actually decent enough. City itself is going to be dealing with the decline of the lake in coming years so I don't know if I'd rush to live there longterm, but the mountain range to the east is beautiful and there's some amazing countryside amongst it (Wasatch and Uinta ranges).

I know what you mean re: scenery in that part of the world since I've travelled around Nevada.

I don't think that would be enough for a single twenty something year old NBA player though.