There weren’t too many big names traded in the days leading up to the February 8 trade deadline. However, a new report from The Ringer’s Howard Beck indicated we could be in for an active off-season, including a potential trade involving the Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns.
Beck reported that the Timberwolves “have soaring expectations and a soaring payroll that will almost certainly have to be reduced soon to avoid a massive luxury-tax bill under the new CBA. The most likely solution? A trade of Karl-Anthony Towns.”
He continued by quoting two league executives about the possibility of a trade involving Towns. The first, a Western Conference executive, said ““I think it happens this summer.” An Eastern Conference executive stated “How much tax are they going to pay when [Anthony Edwards’s] extension kicks in and KAT’s extension jumps?”
Towns, who was named a Western Conference All-Star this season, is currently averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. The big man is shooting 51.6% from the field and 43.6% from three. His three point percentage is the highest among centers who shoot at least three of them per game.
Towns Trade Rumors Are Nothing New
Towns is no stranger when it comes to trade rumors. In fact his name was commonly thrown around in the months leading up to this year’s trade deadline. One team that has commonly been linked to Towns is the New York Knicks.
A report from The New York Post prior to the start of the season quoted Knicks’ head coach Tom Thibodeau praising the Minnesota star.
When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively. He has continued to get better I think. He had some injuries to deal with. I watched him play in FIBA [the World Cup, for the Dominican Republic], he played really well there. He’s really, really gifted.
Thibodeau was the head coach of the the Timberwolves from 2016 to 2019, when he was fired.
Christopher Smith of ClutchPoints reported back in November that “NBA executives believe Towns could be the core piece to depart the team if the Wolves do not make a deep playoff run.”
The Timberwolves are currently 38-16, and sit in first place in the Western Conference. Perhaps, as Smith suggests, how the Wolves fare in the playoffs will ultimately dictate how they handle Towns’ future this summer.
Towns is under contract through the 2026-27 season, and has a $61,194,000 player option for the 2027-28 season.
Wolves Continue to Roll
The Timberwolves have won four out of their last five games, including a 121-100 win over the third-place Los Angeles Clippers on February 12.
The hot stretch has come after the Wolves had struggled for parts of January, a month in which the team went 10-7. However, their play in recent games has them firmly back on top in a competitive western conference.
On February 15 they will face the Portland Trail Blazers, for their final game before the All-Star break. Towns will be joined at the All-Star game by teammate Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 26.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game.
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Karl-Anthony Towns Could be Traded This Summer: Report