Who do the Timberwolves select at No. 17 of the first round in next week’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn? It could be a center and the suggestion here is a sleeper pick in 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton.
There is speculation the Wolves could be interested in moving on from center Rudy Gobert, their soon to be 33-year-old center who is not only aging but carries a burdensome reported salary of $35 million for next season. The Wolves front office and ownership are sensitive to payroll and face an offseason where forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid can opt for free agency.
Finding a trade partner willing to take Gobert could bring future draft picks to the Wolves and/or add veteran talent to the roster. The dream acquisition, of course, is a deal perhaps involving Gobert and bringing Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant to Minneapolis. Such a move would give the Wolves two elite and difficult to defend scorers in Durant and guard Anthony Edwards.
After 12 NBA seasons, Gobert remains a game-changing defensive player and rebounder. This past season he was All-NBA second team defense. He’s a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Gobert has finished top 10 in total rebounds in nine of the last 10 seasons, leading the league twice in that period. This past season he averaged 12 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
The Wolves have no one on the existing roster who comes close to matching Gobert’s profile. But Kalkbrenner, who mock drafts project going later than No. 17, potentially does.
The two players have more in common than their height and weight (approximately 260 pounds each). This past season Kalkbrenner was named both the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year. Four times in his career he was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year.
Kalkbrenner also avoids foul trouble. In his five-year career with the Bluejays there were only 13 times when he had four fouls in a game.
His senior season this is how he ranked nationally in top 50 categories: second in field goals made, third in total blocks, fourth in field goal percentage, fourth in blocks per game, 22nd in total points and 28th in total rebounds.
The 23-year-old was a second and third team All-American in 2025 after averaging 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks.
Kalkbrenner reportedly also has soft hands, a key asset for a big man in grabbing the basketball. Combined with his height, that makes him an inviting target for lob passes.
And his offensive game in the NBA could include three-point shooting. In his two final seasons he made 37 of 115 attempts, or 32.2 percent.
Rudy can’t match that. He’s never made an NBA three-point shot.
Worth Noting
The Wolves have the first pick in the second round. They could bite on a point guard, perhaps combo guard Ben Saraf from Israel.
The first round of the draft is next Wednesday and begins at 7 p.m. Minneapolis time with ABC and ESPN televising. The second round starts at 7 p.m. Thursday with ESPN broadcasting.
General impression so far is Niko Medved is a popular hire as the new men’s Golden Gophers basketball coach. That won’t translate immediately into big crowds at Williams Arena, though. The Gophers might do well to see about a 2,000 sale increase in season tickets for the 2025-2026 home schedule. That could push the total into the 7,000 range.
Happy belated birthday to legendary Golden Gophers football player Bobby Bell who turned 85 yesterday.
The state Legislature didn’t finalize the new University of Minnesota Board of Regents members before it recessed this spring. The authority now falls on Governor Tim Walz who is expected to appoint four new regents to fill vacancies after the application process closes in early July.
Here’s hoping former Hormel executive and ex-U interim president Jeff Ettinger is interested now or in the near future.
I love your recommendation for Wolves to pick the Creighton center (Ryan) Kalkbrenner. Rudy (Gobert) is way overpaid at this stage, clumsy around the basket (small hands?), poor free throw shooting, and just no offensive touch. I see (Kevin) Durant as only a short-term rent-a-player, not a longer term solution.