Timberwolves' NBA Championship Odds Skyrocket After Rudy Gobert Trade

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

The Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the NBA last week by pulling off a blockbuster trade for former Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert. Now Minnesota boasts one of the best big man duos in the league with Gobert and star Karl-Anthony Towns, both of whom complement each other extremely well given their respective strengths.

This all-in move has sent the Timberwolves' NBA championship odds skyrocketing.

Rudy Gobert Trade

Minnesota entered July 1 as a huge longshot on FanDuel Sportsbook to win the 2022-23 NBA championship at +11000 odds. After landing the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, they've climbed up +3600, placing them in tie for the 12th-best odds in the league.

It's no surprise to see this trade give a major boost to the Timberwolves' title hopes. This year's first-round playoff exit showed Minnesota needed to shake things up if they were to compete in a loaded Western Conference, so they went out and acquired an elite defender who instantly raises their ceiling on that end.

Though Gobert has his limitations on offense, his impact on the floor is undeniable. He's made All-Defensive First Team in six straight seasons, and he also led the league in rebounds per game (14.7) this past campaign while averaging 15.6 PPG.

Now the T-Wolves have a promising trio of Gobert, Towns and rising superstar Anthony Edwards to build around for years to come. Contending for a top seed next postseason isn't out of the realm of possibility if this core gels the way Minnesota's front office hopes it will.

Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.