Getty Knicks projected trade target Karl-Anthony Towns (left)
When it comes to Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, the presumption has been that because Minnesota had such an electrifying postseason run in unseating the Denver Nuggets and reaching the Western Conference finals, the long-simmering trade chatter would die off. That would be bad news for the Knicks, who have a short list of targets this summer that truly makes sense as trade candidates.
Towns would be near the top of said Knicks list, an athletic big man who can shoot and offer some help on the defensive end. Towns checks all the boxes—it’s just that the Timberwolves kinda need him, too.
But despite its success on the floor, Minnesota is still a bit of a mess in the front-office suites, in the midst of an ownership battle that has headed to arbitration. That has breathed new life into the possibility of a Towns trade. And the Knicks are in one of the best spots to make such a deal happen.
“That team (the Timberwolves) is in flux,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “They want to keep building off what they did this year, but they just can’t afford it. So I would think it is 100% expected that if they move on from him when the dust settles, the Knicks are going to be there.”
Karl-Anthony Towns Could Be a Victim of Timberwolves Finances
Towns is entering a four-year, $221 million contract extension, and the $49.3 million he is owed in 2024-25 is part of a Timberwolves roster that has around $185 million committed to six players. The NBA’s luxury tax is expected to be set at $171 million for next season, and the “first apron” is $179 million. The dreaded “second apron” will be $190 million.
The Timberwolves are also in the midst of an ownership scuffle between Glen Taylor and the group headed by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore (and now Michael Bloomberg), a fight which is currently in arbitration.
With the team in so much turmoil at the top, the expectation is that it will need to clean up its books when the dust settles. Towns, despite playing only 62 games, was an All-Star this season and averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists, with 50.4% shooting and 41.6% 3-point shooting.
Knicks Could Offer Julius Randle Plus Picks, Players
The ideal scenario for the Timberwolves would be to translate Towns into a player who can help the team next season, draft picks and cap relief. The Knicks can provide the Wolves with a player—that would be Julius Randle, of course—and have ample remaining first-round picks to help the Timberwolves there.
The question is cap relief. That would require a third team, one that has cap room and would be willing to take on the contract of, say, Bojan Bogdanovic, if it came with draft assets. The Wolves would be able to take back Bogdanovic themselves, but likely would not have much use for him.
The problem is, there are limited teams that are willing to park contracts for picks. The Thunder were reliable in that aspect for years, but they’ve moved on from that stage. The Spurs could, but they’re likely accelerating their timeline with Victor Wembanyama on board.
Perhaps the Knicks can come up with another way, sending out Randle and perhaps a package of Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride, with picks, giving the Timberwolves the flexibility to send out other players and reduce their tax hit.
Of course, we don’t know whether the Wolves will make KAT available yet. But if they do, count on the Knicks to be in pursuit.