Jason Burgos
A new report has floated the idea of the Atlanta Hawks trading for Rudy Gobert this summer. But what could the Minnesota Timberwolves get back in a deal?
Both the Timberwolves and Hawks have decisions to make this offseason. The pair of NBA teams had productive years in 2025-26. Especially Atlanta, which took a nice step forward in a new era with Jalen Johnson as the new face of the franchise. As for Minnesota, they fell short of reaching the Conference Finals for a third straight year when they found out they are a level below the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
The Timberwolves and Hawks have good cores to build around, but their results this spring show they need to make changes if they want to contend for a championship in 2026-27. Interestingly enough, they may be able to help each other.
There has been speculation that Atlanta could use the No. 8 pick in next month’s NBA Draft on Michigan big man Aday Mara. However, Hoops Hypes’s Michael Scotto floated the idea that the Hawks could fill their need for a rim-protecting big man by trading for Gobert.
“He has a similar physique to Mara and won three of his four Defensive Player of the Year awards while under [Hawks coach Quin] Snyder’s guidance with the Utah Jazz,” Scotto wrote.
What could the Timberwolves get back from Hawks in a Rudy Gobert trade?
The 13-year veteran would be a very nice fit anchoring the Hawks’ defense in 2026-27 and 2027-28 if he picks up his $38 million player option. But what would the Timberwolves get back in return for a player who has been a key, albeit aging, part of their success the last four years?
In a perfect world, it would be great if the Timberwolves could use the No. 8 pick in June to get the young impact point guard they could use. But that’s not happening. Or get Nickeil Alexander-Walker back. However, league rules block him from being reacquired by Minnesota.
Instead, they could still get a pretty nice return of center Onyeka Okongwu, three-point ace Buddy Hield, and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Okongwu took another nice development step forward this season as he became Atlanta’s full-time starting center. Posting 15 points, close to 8 rebounds, and blocking a game at 25 years old. Heild is one of the better three-point shooters in NBA history and would be a nice addition to the bench. While Risacher has a ton of talent but probably needs a system change to bring out his potential.
