Rudy Gobert’s future in Minnesota is suddenly looking like one of the biggest questions hanging over the Timberwolves heading into the 2026-27 season, and one NBA voice isn’t leaving much room for doubt. Chris Vernon thinks the four-time Defensive Player of the Year is on his way out before this season is over.
On The Chris Vernon Show, Vernon made his case in blunt fashion, tying Gobert’s situation to both money and fit as the Timberwolves keep reshaping their roster around Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball.
“Gobert is getting traded this year. That’s a hundred percent.
It’s a contract year. You think they’re gonna bring him back long-term?
They ain’t trying to spend. You think A-Rod’s spending the money on him?
No way.”
He also pointed to the kind of marketplace that can emerge when contenders start chasing answers in the middle of a season.
“You get the value now, and there will be teams, especially, look, there’s gonna be an arms race. There’s gonna be an arms race, and people are gonna look like, ‘All right, we’d like to have Gobert to go up against Wembanyama.'”
For Vernon, the fit is the real issue. He doesn’t see Gobert as a natural match for the direction Minnesota is taking.
“And I just don’t think he fits. You’re gonna have to decide, are we doing the Ant-LaMelo thing?
Is that what we’re doing? ‘Cause Gobert does not fit with them.”
That kind of speculation lands at a moment when Gobert’s contract situation already leaves the door open to change. The 35-year-old signed a three-year, $109.5 million extension in 2024 after taking less per year than he could have gotten on his previous deal. He is set to make about $36.5 million this season and also has a $38 million player option for 2027-28.
That player option means he is not automatically headed for unrestricted free agency next summer. Even so, Minnesota still has to decide whether another long-term commitment makes sense.
The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski recently suggested there hasn’t been much movement on that front.
“He is eligible for an extension. So far, I have not heard any sort of real momentum toward that happening immediately here. I think it is something that the team will explore, that maybe Rudy would look at as well, as he gets a little, you know, as he gets older.’
“We saw his last extension; he brought his number down a little bit more to make it more manageable to have a good team around him. I would imagine that if there was something to be done, it would be another scenario like that where his number, I think, is at 31 or 33 million now, maybe comes down annually, but he gets a little bit more long-term security with a multi-year extension.”
The uncertainty matters even more because Minnesota’s roster has already changed around him. The Wolves moved on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid while bringing in LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, a shift that points toward a younger, more explosive core built around Edwards.
Gobert still brings exactly what made him one of the league’s most trusted defensive anchors. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. His rim protection, rebounding and ability to keep a defense organized remain major assets, especially when the matchup calls for a bruising answer inside.
That is what makes Vernon’s mention of Victor Wembanyama especially notable. The San Antonio Spurs reached the NBA Finals last season behind Wembanyama’s huge two-way impact, and teams trying to catch them could see Gobert as a proven interior stopper who could make life miserable for the Spurs star.
Of course, that kind of move would not come cheap. Gobert’s age could make teams hesitant to part with too much, and any acquisition would come with a serious financial commitment attached.
Minnesota also has another possible factor in the mix: young center Joan Beringer. His development could lessen the team’s reliance on Gobert sooner rather than later.
Still, moving Gobert would carry real risk. He has helped define Minnesota’s defensive identity, and replacing that kind of presence would not be simple. The Wolves would have to decide whether more offensive spacing and financial breathing room could outweigh losing one of the league’s best rim protectors.
For now, Vernon’s comments amount to a strong prediction, not proof that a deal is already in motion. There is no sign that a trade is imminent. But with extension talks still showing little momentum and Minnesota leaning into the Edwards-Ball pairing, Gobert’s future is looking increasingly uncertain.
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