Rudy Gobert was ruled out for Minnesota's season opener against the Heat on Saturday, listed day-to-day with a rest issue on the team's injury report. The Timberwolves will lean on Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson at center in his absence as they open the 2026-27 season at 0-0.
What happened
Rudy Gobert appeared on Minnesota's injury report Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:49 p.m. ET, listed day-to-day with a rest issue and no previous status attached. The report's comment confirmed he has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Heat. The designation is logged as rest, under the "Other" category, with no further detail given. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 12.
What it means for the Timberwolves
Minnesota opens its 2026-27 season at the Heat on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET without its starting center. Gobert averaged 31.3 minutes, 10.9 points and 11.5 rebounds across 76 games last season, numbers the Timberwolves will miss inside. Naz Reid, who played 26.1 minutes and scored 13.6 points per game last season in games without Gobert, projects as the first man up at center, with Kyle Anderson (19.1 minutes, 4.6 points without Gobert) also in the mix. The Timberwolves have not played a game yet this season, so there is no record to measure his absence against.
What to watch
Gobert's next update will come on the team's following injury report, with his rest designation needing to clear before he can return. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 12, the day after Minnesota's opener. No other timeline has been announced. Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga and Ayo Dosunmu are also listed day-to-day with rest on the same report, while Donte DiVincenzo is out with a right Achilles issue.
Is Rudy Gobert playing vs. Heat?
No. The injury report has him ruled out for Saturday's game against the Heat with a rest issue.
When will Rudy Gobert be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 12. No further timeline has been announced.