The moment Timberwolves’ Mike Conley Jr. trade hit Rudy Gobert like a ton of bricks

On Tuesday afternoon, the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to shake things up by sending Mike Conley Jr. out in a three-team deal that didn’t net the team much other than financial flexibility. Conley had lost his starting job this year to Donte DiVincenzo, and now, he will be a member of the Chicago Bulls’ logjam in the backcourt.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves’ players will certainly miss having Conley’s leadership and veteran presence around the locker room.

“Mike has been a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for… this morning on the bus, looking next to me on the bus and seeing an empty seat, it hit me a little bit,” said Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert, per Christopher Hine of the Minnesota Star Tribune on X, formerly Twitter.

Conley had been with the Timberwolves for a few years and played a big role on their two runs to the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025, serving as a key mentor for star Anthony Edwards and providing some stability and playmaking for the team.

While his play had started to diminish down the stretch of last year and into this season, Conley remained a beloved member of the locker room, who could help stabilize the offense when needed.

Many fans and pundits alike theorized that the Timberwolves made this move as a mechanism to clear space for a bigger trade down the line, with a potential name being disgruntled Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will be able to bring in the Bucks star without having to gut their entire roster beyond recognition, but the Conley trade sure seemed to be the precursor for something to come.

The trade deadline is set for Thursday afternoon at 3:00 pm ET. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will next hit the floor on Wednesday night vs the Toronto Raptors on the road.

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