Rudy Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, has reached an agreement on a three-year, $110 million contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania on Tuesday.
The new deal features a player option for the 2027-28 season and includes a trade kicker, according to Charania. This extension indicates that Gobert has opted out of his $46.6 million player option for the upcoming season, as noted by Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
At 32 years old, Gobert is tied with Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo for the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history. Last season, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 14 points and 12.9 rebounds over 76 games, contributing significantly to the Timberwolves’ top-ranked defense.
In addition to his NBA achievements, Gobert earned a silver medal with the French national team at the 2024 Paris Games, where he averaged 3.3 points and four rebounds in six games.
Gobert will enter the new season with a different frontcourt partner following the Timberwolves’ trade of forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for three-time All-Star Julius Randle at the end of September.
The Timberwolves are set to kick off their 2024-25 season on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.