With the Timberwolves season over, Rudy Gobert has become a trade name in Minnesota circles. A hypothetical deal could send Gobert to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Yves Missi, Jordan Poole, a future first-round pick, and three future second-round pi
For a defense-first coach like Jamahl Mosley, the best offseason conversations don’t start with highlight reels. They start with rim protection. And in New Orleans, that is where the latest trade speculation is heading.
Minnesota’s season has come to a close. and with it the usual churn of rumors has already begun around the Timberwolves. The most prominent name in that talk is Rudy Gobert. a four-time Defensive Player of the Year whose time in Minnesota has brought more playoff bite than ever. The Timberwolves have won five playoff series with Gobert manning their defense, evidence that his impact isn’t theoretical.
But as the attention shifts away from the season and toward what changes could come next. there’s also a growing sentiment forming around Gobert’s role—useful as a floor-raiser. but not the sort of piece teams build a championship around. If Minnesota ultimately decides to adjust its roster, the New Orleans Pelicans are framed as a realistic landing spot.
In the hypothetical package, the Pelicans would receive Rudy Gobert. New Orleans’ side of the deal would cost Yves Missi, Jordan Poole, a future first-round pick, and three future second-round picks.
That mix reflects what New Orleans is trying to solve. The Pelicans have plenty of upside. but the ceiling has stayed out of reach—largely tied to Zion Williamson’s inconsistency. When Williamson is on the floor, he’s been All-Star caliber and one of the league’s best offensive talents. Over his career, he’s averaged 23.8 points per game, drawing on elite athleticism and interior scoring. The problem is that injuries have kept the former number one overall pick stuck on the sideline too often.
New Orleans has refused to give up on Williamson. meaning any roster planning has to assume he can string together a healthy season. If that happens, the blueprint makes sense: pair him with an elite shot-blocking center. Defense hasn’t been Williamson’s forte. That is where Gobert’s fit becomes the centerpiece of the scenario.
Gobert isn’t just described as one of the best rim protectors in the league—he’s also one of the best defensive players in NBA history. The Pelicans’ urgency on that front is clear. This season, they ranked 29th in 2-point field goal percentage against. Bringing in a defensive anchor would address the interior issues New Orleans struggled to stop.
There’s a catch that sits under the surface of the debate. Gobert’s offensive fit next to Williamson is flagged as potentially worrisome. Even so, the argument for New Orleans is that his presence would fix the defensive problem first—and that the offense could be covered elsewhere.
One concrete detail in this scenario is that New Orleans would hold onto Derik Queen. an offensive-minded center who could pick up some of the slack. It’s also tied to the coaching storyline: Mosley, recently hired, is being described as defensive-minded. In that framework, it’s easy to see why Gobert’s name would land in his first offseason discussions.
The Pelicans’ willingness to go big in a trade would likely run into a familiar barrier: first-round pick sensitivity. Giving up more than just one first-round pick is portrayed as something they may not be willing to do. New Orleans was already ridiculed for giving up their 2026 first-rounder unprotected in the draft day trade that brought them Derik Queen. In this hypothetical. they’d be retaining the core idea—limit the first-round cost—while still paying for Gobert with the rest of the package.
That leaves flexibility around who else has to move. The scenario suggests New Orleans could move off Yves Missi, another recent first-round big man. Jordan Poole could also be on the move, with Poole’s role described as more of a spark plug. But the Pelicans’ present needs aren’t exactly the same as they would have been before.
Dejounte Murray is part of that equation. After returning from an achilles injury, Murray impressed, and the scenario argues that Poole’s specific skill set isn’t as important for New Orleans as it once was. So, in this imagined deal, Poole becomes the tradable piece rather than the untouchable one.
On the other side, the Timberwolves aren’t framed as a team headed for a full rebuild. Still, changes can always land on the table when Tim Connelly is making decisions. If Minnesota decides to move Gobert, the package described here would come with a surplus of draft flexibility.
Minnesota would receive Yves Missi, Jordan Poole, a future first-round pick, and three future second-round picks. Those extra second-round selections are positioned as a way to keep the wheeling and dealing going. The scenario also notes that Minnesota has already received four future second-round picks in the Rob Dillingham trade—meaning three more twos would add up quickly. giving them more options for future roster construction.
There is a single thread running through the entire setup: Gobert’s defenders and detractors both have reasons. and Minnesota’s postseason finish only sharpens the offseason question. If the Timberwolves decide the roster needs a recalibration. this is the type of deal they’d have to weigh—one that brings New Orleans a defensive centerpiece. while giving Minnesota players and draft ammunition to pivot.
For the Pelicans, the emotional logic is straightforward. If Williamson stays healthy, then the team doesn’t just need scoring. It needs protection around him. And the name being thrown around for that job is Rudy Gobert—now attached to a Mosley-era defensive vision and a trade package that could. at least on paper. remake New Orleans’ interior.