Rudy Gobert Rumors

After appearing in major international competitions for fourth straight summers, France star center Rudy Gobert won’t be joining his national team in the 2025 EuroBasket. Gobert talked about the reasons behind his absence to L’Aisne Nouvelle and explained why he’s skipping the tournament. “I’ve had busy summers in recent years, and it’s taken a toll,” Gobert said. “People don’t always realize how intense the EuroBasket is. It finishes just before the NBA resumes, and it’s a big responsibility. I had said I’d wait until the end of the season to decide, and now I have. This summer, I’m focusing on myself, my family and my son.”

EuroHoops.net

Before taking the Rockets offer, the Suns had in-depth discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves about moving Durant for a package that included star center Rudy Gobert, guard Donte DiVincenzo, promising forward Terrence Shannon Jr. and the 17th pick in this year's draft, sources told ESPN. Had that deal come to fruition, there was a place for Beal in the lineup, and the Suns might've made it a priority to keep him.

ESPN

He was traded to Utah the next summer as part of a deal for Rudy Gobert, but the Wolves also continued to have reservations about trusting him to keep his life off the court on the straight and narrow, a team source said.

New York Times

Jorge Sierra: Most consecutive seasons averaging 10-plus rebounds 10: Rudy Gobert 8: Giannis Antetokounmpo 7: DEANDRE AYTON, Nikola Vucevic So there's that.

Twitter

France could be without another key player at this summer’s EuroBasket. After Rudy Gobert’s confirmed absence, and reported of Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier is now also doubtful due to continued issues with his right ankle, according to L’Equipe.

EuroHoops.net

Phoenix has also gauged the trade market on swingmen Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen, league sources told HoopsHype. The Timberwolves were concerned about trading for Durant when Minnesota wasn’t on his preferred list of destinations. In addition, the Suns desired Rudy Gobert in trade talks, and losing their French defensive anchor to pair Julius Randle and Kevin Durant in the frontcourt together wasn’t seen as an ideal pairing defensively, HoopsHype has learned.

HoopsHype

This may only be the first major setback for the French national team ahead of this summer's EuroBasket (August 27–September 14 in Poland and Latvia). Already uncertain about the availability of their superstar Victor Wembanyama—whose participation is highly doubtful following a thrombosis that cut his season short in February—France will now have to do without another key interior piece: Rudy Gobert. According to our sources, the Minnesota Timberwolves center (7'1", 32 years old) has decided to withdraw from the summer tournament with the French national team. This will be only the second time Gobert—double Olympic silver medalist (2021, 2024), six-time medalist with France (112 caps)—misses a major competition, the first being EuroBasket 2017.

L'Equipe

Draymond Green, who claimed he’s a completely different person when he steps off of the court, said he’s motivated by winning and that it’s nothing personal when things turn chippy on the hardwood. “And you may not think so, but I don’t always try to be hated,” said Green, whose on-court incident with Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert — when he grabbed him around the neck in a Nov. 14, 2023, game — was brought up by the panel’s host.

New York Post

The Wolves would seem to have options available to offer, with Rudy Gobert or Julius Randle headlining a package that could give the Suns hopes of contending. With the offers from the Spurs, Rockets and Heat coming up short to this point, league sources say the Suns are still hopeful that Durant might warm to the Timberwolves possibility. The Timberwolves do not want to make a seismic change to a roster that advanced to the Western Conference finals if Durant is not on board with the move, team sources said. The question now is whether there’s any chance of Durant coming around to the idea.

New York Times

The Wolves are not including Jaden McDaniels in any KD trade talks, per team sources, which means that one of Randle or Rudy Gobert would have to be the primary salary eater in the deal. Randle has a $31 million player option for next season. Gobert makes $35 million. Including either one of them not only helps in the salary matching portion of the deal, but both veterans would be reliable contributors who could help Devin Booker and the Suns compete now. It does not appear that Phoenix wants to tear down and rebuild as part of this trade. Randle and Gobert both figured prominently in Minnesota’s run to the conference finals last season. Both are floor-raisers for the regular season at a minimum, and both had big moments in the playoffs before struggling in the conference finals against OKC.

New York Times

“Are you into reading tea leaves?” Gobert posted on X this week saying, “To be continued” with wolf and trophy emojis. I’m not sure if that means he has received assurances that he is staying put, but the Wolves know how important he is to their defensive identity.

New York Times

Jorge Sierra: SGA passed all these players in playoff scoring tonight: Hersey Hawkins, Bryon Russell, Eddie Jones, Nick Van Exel, Rudy Gobert, Lenny Wilkens, James Edwards, Antoine Walker, Dan Issel, Norm Nixon, Robert Reid, Lou Williams, Ron Harper. He's No. 234 all-time now.

x.com

Jon Krawczynski: Tim Connelly on Chris Finch, said he is "great," and they've asked a lot out of him w/Rudy trade and KAT trade in last 3 years. "So it’s a testament to his intelligence, his ability to be creative and to coach any group we put in front of him."

x.com

Coach D'Antoni respond to what [she] is saying. She says the offense has taken priority over, or 3-point-based offense has taken priority over defense. What do you think? MIKE D'ANTONI: No, never takes priority over defense. Defense, every coach knows you have to have a good defense to win, but all offenses are designed to attack the weakest part of your defense. So a lot of teams, like we played the Milwaukee Bucks and they had a center that hung around the rim. Or Rudy Gobert, who likes to stay back. And normally, so you're not, your offense is going to be designed to take a lot of 3s because they've clogged up the middle. They won't let you get to the rim, which is always the first priority of any good offense, is to make layups. So you have to change up your philosophy or your point of attack. What I disagree with. I don't think it's made the game bad. It makes it exciting. There's a lot of, Steph Curry is Stephen Curry, yeah. Becomes a 3-point shot, that would be a crime not to have him in the league or no lead is safe, which is a good thing. Or there's no repeat champions in the last five or 10 years because it opens the game up and gives everybody a chance to be that dominant team.

WBUR