“The Wolves’ draft picks paired with Reid’s massive extension show that the 33-year-old center (Gobert) isn’t a long-term part of the core.” When Dunking With Wolves reporter Eamon Cassels pointed this out, it sounded the alarm. For the past three seasons, Gobert has been a key figure in Minnesota’s starting lineup. But mounting criticism—especially after the 2024–25 campaign—has spotlighted his declining confidence around the rim and a virtually nonexistent offensive presence beyond the paint. With that kind of recent record, isn’t his time in Minnesota already on borrowed time?

With the French star also having recently turned 33 years old, questions have been raised on whether it would not be better to trade the veteran to acquire better choices. However, if you were to ask Alex Rodriguez, then there is no one better to have on the Timberwolves squad. The MLB legend, along with his business partner Marc Lore, recently succeeded in getting a controlling interest in the Minnesota Timberwolves after a legal battle with former team owner Glen Taylor. Therefore, the duo will have the ultimate say on the direction the team will take for the 2025-26 season. And here’s what they have to say about the whole Gobert saga.

Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor wanted to discuss this itself during the recent episode of ‘The Kevin O’Connor Show’. When highlighting how some people would say Rudy Gobert’s contract is bad to have, Marc Lore defended him by saying, “Just looking at his impact on winning, I mean, no, he’s one of the best defenders in the world”. Alex Rodriguez didn’t back away from his partner’s opinion and added to it.

“Kevin, if you look at his career, I bet he’s in the top five winningest players. So, all he does is win. He goes to the playoffs…. I think every year, he’s been to the playoffs. He’s a 100%, and he’s completely converted the whole franchise,” said the 2009 World Series Champion. “When he came, before and after, Rudy’s a monster, and we love him”. When Rudy Gobert was acquired by the Minnesota Timberwolves back in July 2022, Alex Rodriguez, then a minority owner, stated, “We’re in a good position and just being opportunistic. We do have a window for four or five years, and we’re taking a swing at it.” Taking that swing certainly paid off, as Rudy Gobert became the team’s leading rebounder in all 3 seasons, having averaged 11.8 rebounds in a total of 218 games.

The effect that his presence can have on the team was seen back in April. Over the 13 games since Gobert returned from back spasms, the Wolves went on to score 8.9 more points, and allowed 17.2 fewer points per 100 possessions. Sure, the 7-foot-1 star is far from the perfect player. His shot percentage is good, but his attempts are low; he has never crossed the 70% mark in a season for average free throws. His ineffectiveness out on the perimeter was reportedly deemed a factor in Utah’s playoff losses. Despite that, there is no denying Gobert has transformed the Wolves defensively.

In the 3 years that the 4× NBA Defensive Player of the Year has been a part of the Timberwolves, the team finished in the top 10 in defensive rating. It also boasted the NBA’s top-ranked defense during the 2023-24 season. His partnership with Anthony Edwards allowed the team to reach the Conference Finals in the last 2 years, after the team had missed out on it in the last 19 years. Therefore, instead of looking at the negative, Alex Rodriguez is focusing on the positive.

From the MLB legend’s recent remarks, it is safe to say that Rudy Gobert’s future with the Minnesota Timberwolves is secure. For now. With the reins of the team in his hands now, Alex Rodriguez is trying to keep the best parts of the Timberwolves on his side. If they aren’t there, then he is trying to get them, as proven by his recent remarks about Kevin Garnett.

Alex Rodriguez looks to mend fences between Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves: “he’s so important to our franchise”

Yahoo! Sports reporter Vincent Goodwill once said, “Anthony Edwards is the torch-bearer, but in 36 years Garnett has stood above and beyond over other Timberwolves stars like Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Love and Tom Gugliotta”. Sure, it was the Boston Celtics with whom Kevin Garnett won his sole NBA championship back in 2008. However, the player’s two stints with the Timberwolves, first between 1995 and 2007 and the second between 2014 and 2016, saw him set an important part of his legacy by becoming the Wolves’ all-time leader in points, rebounds, and assists for the Timberwolves.

He also held the franchise record for the most career games played, along with the all-time leader in minutes played. Despite this, 9 years since his retirement, there has been no jersey retirement, no statue, no special honors for Garnett. As part of the changes being made to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Alex Rodriguez looks to fix this.

During a Q&A session with reporters during the ongoing NBA Summer League series in Las Vegas, the 49-year-old addressed the tensions that have previously been held between the Timberwolves franchise and Kevin Garnett. He stated that “We would love to course correct that, because he’s so important to our franchise, to that community, to the history of Timberwolves”. This move is part of Alex Rodriguez’s rebranding, which would see him utilize/leverage Garnett’s legacy to unite fans.

A primary reason why Kevin Garnett has been snubbed for a long time was due to his strained relationship with former Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor. It all started back in 2015, when the athlete was taken back by the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to reports, the acquisition came with the promise of KG having a role in the organization. Flip Saunders, who convinced Garnett to come aboard, passed away shortly before the 2015-16 campaign due to complications from Hodgkin’s disease. Glen Taylor reportedly went back on the agreement. After Garnett’s exit, Taylor made attempts to retire Garnett’s number. However, the athlete dismissed it, saying it was only due to pressure from the fans.

In the MLB legend’s own words, “I’ve been an enormous fan of Kevin, we are similar ages. We both came out in a similar draft. We were both number one picks. I tracked him closely. If anything is important to our fan base, it will be important to us. He’s the GOAT in Minnesota. We have tremendous respect for KG and everything he accomplished. We would love to get closer to him, and we know the fans want to see that”. Alex Rodriguez shows ‘brand of authenticity’ which Garnett didn’t see in Taylor. Therefore, who knows, perhaps we might see a Timberwolves jersey retirement announcement in the coming weeks or months. Even though Garnett had stayed silent about Rodriguez wanting to form a better bond earlier. After all, it’s high time that “the Big Ticket” got it.