When the Minnesota Timberwolves front office traded a significant package of future first-round draft picks and players to the Utah Jazz for the rights to acquire outstanding veteran center Rudy Gobert, some applauded the move as a well-timed move to upgrade a Timberwolves roster that was shy of veteran NBA stars and bursting at the seams of young NBA contributors.
It was a courageous effort, timed to cover the prime-time of power forward/center Karl-Anthony Town’s best basketball play while setting the stage for the future stardom of Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards and small forward Jaden McDaniels. It seemed to be risky to the fans, but in terms of Timberwolves roster building strategy, this was a hedged gamble.