In what's definitely the most shocking deal of the NBA free agency so far, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for five players and a massive haul of picks–four first-rounders and a pick swap to be exact.
The Jazz got the likes of Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and Leandro Bolmaro in the process, but really, it's the amount of picks sent their way that made people drop their jaws.
Naturally, it drew a variety of reactions from the NBA Twitterverse. For one, it's the first time a team has sent a 2029 pick–which, in case anyone has forgotten, is seven years from now. The Timberwolves basically sacrificed a lot of assets for the future to create a team they believe can win now.
A lot others were simply dumbstruck with the deal. After all, who else remembers that 2013 deal between the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics when the former mortgaged their future for the aging Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce? Sure Rudy Gobert is just 30 years old, but four first-rounders and a pick swap just looks too much. But hey, this is what Danny Ainge does.
NBA insider Keith Smith couldn't help but ask as well: if Gobert can command that much picks, how many the Nets could acquire in a Kevin Durant deal? it is worth noting that the superstar forward just made a trade request from the team and Brooklyn is now actively collecting offers.
Meanwhile, others just couldn't help but poke fun at the situation given how absurd it looks.