A fresh wave of excitement has entered Minnesota. They have a bolstering young core, led by Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. There is only one worry that can destroy their immediate future. That being their lofty salary bill. The Wolves rank among the highest payrolls in the NBA for the coming seasons. But with just one Rudy Gobert decision, they could contain it all. or they lose some critical time in competing for a championship.

During the latest segment of the The Hoops Collective show, Brian Windhorst decided to buy into the future of the Timberwolves despite the current legal drama over the franchise’s ownership. But he did address one crucial extension of Rudy Gobert. The reigning DPOY makes a whopping $43 million this season and has a player option for the next season.

But Windhorst believes the organization could hold talks about the same and extend his contract. There’s just one dilemma. No one knows how flexible Gobert is willing to be. Turning 32, the French center played an integral role in pushing the Wolves as the best defensive team. However, the postseason exposed the need for more versatility. The only way to attain that is by Gobert making a sacrifice.

If Rudy Gobert opts into his $46 million player option for the 2025-26 season, it will severely limit the Minnesota Timberwolves from making any changes to their existing roster. This means they could potentially be wasting the coming two seasons trying to rearrange their ranks. The only way to speed the process and ensure it happens next season is for Gobert to take a pay cut. And it can only be him because every other major player is already under long-term contracts.

Now that he is back from the Paris Olympics, Windhorst believes the Wolves will have a conversation with the 32-year-old over an upcoming extension. Obviously, if accepted, the rim protector will make significantly less than the $46 million player option. But he will help the team in constructing a championship-worthy roster by adding valuable components to their elite squad. The money saved can also be used to extend core pieces such as Naz Reid to remain with the team.

Timberwolves are interested in extending Rudy Gobert

While there have been no official talks over a condensed extension for Rudy Gobert, KSTP-TV’s Darren Wolfson claims the situation is developing. According to him, there is mutual interest between both the Timberwolves and Gobert to sign an extension. While he didn’t confirm the Frenchman’s willingness to sacrifice, he does believe it’s something well understood.

“Will they extend Rudy Gobert in July? I’m told there’s mutual interest on that front, so when thinking about the books a year out, that’s one thing the Wolves could do… Rudy, don’t exercise your player option, let’s rip that up, let’s extend you. You can structure the contract to save some money short term. Hey, Rudy would love to have some security, ages 33, 34, perhaps even his age-35 season,” he said on Minnesota Sports with Mackey & Judd.

The immediate future of the Timberwolves organization does hinge on Rudy Gobert. He can easily play out his last season while earning $46 million and becoming a free agent. But it could potentially taint his legacy for foregoing two aspiring seasons for the franchise. Additionally, Gobert might be hungry to win after not only losing in the WCF but also the gold medal game at the Olympics.

The framework is also set. It’s now time to wait for discussions and decisions.