Trade him? Rudy Gobert Boosts His Value With 8th First Team Selection

This just in: Rudy Gobert is one of the best defenders in NBA history.

Gobert, 33, was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team for the eighth time in his career. That's tied for the second most in NBA history, only trailing five players who have been named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times: Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant.

If Minnesota trades Gobert this summer, there's no question that his trade value has increased with the First Team selection. Whether it means Minnesota can get a future first-round pick and a player for him remains a question, but there are plenty of teams that could elevate their chances next season by adding a rim protector of Gobert's caliber.

Which teams? Boston, the Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, and Hornets, just to name several.

Until the Wolves ran into Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, Gobert anchored a very good Minnesota defense. That's the difficult question Minnesota now has to answer: Do they run it back with Gobert at center in 2026-27, or trade him to avoid meeting the Spurs again in the playoffs and having Gobert effectively played off the floor?

Gobert would be most effective in the Eastern Conference, where the top centers include the likes of Towns, Evan Mobley, Joel Embiid, and Jalen Duran. Gobert is more than capable of winning those matchups night in and night out, whereas the Wemby factor looms in the West.

Gobert has been named All-NBA Defensive First Team all but two seasons — 2022-23 and 2024-25 — since 2016. In 2024-25, he made the All-NBA Defensive Third Team. He was left off the All-NBA Defensive teams in 2021-22, which was his first season with Minnesota as the Wolves experimented with playing Gobert alongside fellow 7-footer Karl-Anthony Towns.

Gobert's first-team selections:

2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2023-24
2025-26

Gobert also owns four Defensive Player of the Year awards in his career, and he finished fourth in that vote this season.

How does that compare to Garnett, who was named All-NBA Defensive First Team nine times in his career? Garnett won the DPOY award just once, but he was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team six consecutive seasons in Minnesota, from 1999-2000 to 2004-05. He earned first-team selections with the Celtics in 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2010-11.

Gobert and Garnett are the only players in Wolves history with at least three All-Defensive Team selections. Garnett had two second-team selections in addition to his six first-team honors while he played for the Wolves. He added one more second-team selection in 2011-12 with the Celtics.

The coolest stat the Wolves issued in a press release about Gobert's latest honor is that he joins Dwight Howard, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone, and Dikembe Mutombo as the only players in NBA history to average at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and one block per game in 10 consecutive seasons.

Garnett was named to his last All-Defensive team when he was 35 years old. If Gobert follows suit, he would have two more seasons to add to his trophy case. He'll be 34 next season, and 35 during the 2027-28 season. He may play both of those seasons with Minnesota, since he's under contract next season and has a player option in 2027-28.

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