The Timberwolves and center Rudy Gobert have agreed to a three-year, $110 million extension, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

It’s an unexpected development considering Minnesota traded away Gobert’s frontcourt partner. Karl Anthony citiesthis offseason at the start of Towns’ maximum extension.

Gobert, 32, is scheduled to make $43,827,587 this season under his current contract. He had a $46,655,173 option for the 2025-26 season, so Gobert declined that option and chose a smaller annual average to secure two more years. The final season of the extension will include a player option, adds Charania (Twitter link). The expansion will also include a trade kicker.

Minnesota gets some relief as Gobert declines that option, giving him more flexibility to make moves next offseason. Julius Randle And Naz Reidthe team’s other key frontcourt players, could potentially become free agents if they decline their options next summer.

Gobert is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, winning the award for the fourth time. After a rocky first season with the organization following the blockbuster deal between Minnesota and Utah, Gobert settled in last season and played an important role on a team that reached the Western Conference Finals.

Gobert is also one of the league’s longest-lasting players by current standards. Since the 2018/19 season, he has not appeared in fewer than 66 regular season games.

He made 76 starts last season and averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He also started 15 postseason games, averaging 12.1 points and 9.8 rebounds.