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5 potential trades​ for Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns may or may not be unhappy in Minnesota and on the trading block. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get something straight. If the rumors really do come to pass, Karl-Anthony Towns may be the single most valuable asset ever traded in NBA history. This assumes you don’t count sign-and-trades, because 2010 LeBron James will never be matched. Or draft day deals, as there isn’t yet evidence that those players will reach stardom, but the circumstances of a Towns deal defy all logic of trading a superstar. Generally, a team trades a superstar for one of a four reasons:

  • That superstar is nearing the end of his contract and will leave as a free agent. Technically Towns is under contract for only one more year, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have another year of team control through restricted free agency. Towns could get a five-year max extension right now. To reach unrestricted free agency, he would have to forego that security and play the 2019-20 season on a one-year qualifying offer that is tiny compared to his max. No star has ever turned down the security. Functionally, Towns has six years of team control left.
  • That superstar is old, and the team needs to rebuild. Towns is only 22.
  • That superstar doesn’t get along with a more important person in the organization, and one of them has to go. If Towns doesn’t get along with Andrew Wiggins, then they should trade Andrew Wiggins. If he doesn’t get along with Jimmy Butler, then they should trade Jimmy Butler. They should fire Tom Thibodeau anyway, but they should do so tomorrow if discord between the two is the cause of these rumors.
  • That superstar has an extensive injury history that is too risky to build around. Towns has never missed a game in his NBA career.

The only remotely comparable deals in NBA history would be Chris Webber being traded after his rookie year, and that was due to a contract quirk that the Golden State Warriors were dumb enough to give him, and Jason Kidd being traded in his third season because of a feud with Jim Jackson over Toni Braxton. Both trades fall into one of the four categories listed above. Webber was going to be a free agent. Kidd lost a power struggle with Jackson. A Towns trade fits into none.

The NBA is a star-driven league. Teams spend years intentionally losing for the chance to get one. And now Thibodeau is dangling him because he doesn’t play enough defense? Who cares! Trade for someone who does. When you factor in age, contract status, health, team situation and talent, there are only four players in the NBA who shouldn’t theoretically be available in a Towns deal: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. If the Timberwolves want Russell Westbrook here, they can get Russell Westbrook. If they want Kristaps Porziņģis, they can get Kristaps Porziņģis. More valuable names than those two will pop up in these rumors.

From a team perspective, the only franchises that shouldn’t be interested in Towns are ones that are dead set on competing right now (Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors) or who already have star big men who better fit what they’re trying to do and have more certain contract status (Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers). That’s four teams we could eliminate. That leaves 25 that should be in this derby. The world is Minnesota’s oyster here.

These five trades aren’t necessarily the most likely. They are the best deals Minnesota could get. The truth of the matter is that Towns could scare off suitors by threatening not to sign a contract extension and become a free agent in 2020. That’s why he isn’t getting traded to the Sacramento Kings for the No. 2 pick. Any team trading for Towns has to have enough to offer that it would be worthwhile for Minnesota, but enough leftover that it would be worthwhile for Towns. If he is going to commit the next six years of his career to a team, it is going to be a good one. So these are the five trades that fit that mandate. But with a player like Towns, other teams will get into the derby. Get ready for the wildest trade rumors you’ve ever heard…

1. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns and Cole Aldrich to the Phoenix Suns for Tyson Chandler, Dragan Bender and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft


May 15, 2018; Chicago, IL, USA; NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum hands Phoenix Suns player Josh Jackson the number one pick card during the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery at the Palmer House Hilton.  Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

If Minnesota insisted on Devin Booker and the No. 1 overall pick, The Suns should probably do it. Towns and cap space might be one of the best young cores in basketball, and the Suns would have practically limitless space in that scenario this offseason and a good amount in the future. But Towns wouldn’t go to the Suns without Booker, his college teammate who has already started stoking the flames on a possible trade.

Historically speaking, this trade would bear a striking resemblance to the one made by the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers in 2001. The Bulls traded former rookie of the year Elton Brand, an established star on the rise, for the No. 2 pick in the Draft, Tyson Chandler. The Bulls proceeded to take another center No. 4, Eddy Curry, which raises the question of why the hell they made the Chandler deal to begin with. The Wolves would be in the same boat.

Towns is established as an offensive star who struggles on defense. That is what Ayton projects to be. Why give up someone who already does what you expect Ayton eventually will? If Ayton were a different kind of center such a deal might make sense. But he isn’t. There is no good reason for the Wolves to make this trade. They just might do it anyway. Thibodeau would like the idea of Tyson Chandler as a rim-protector. Dragan Bender still has upside. They’d get to dump Cole Adrich’s bad contract. It’s the sort of deal a bad GM who also coaches could be duped into making.

The Suns would be set offensively for the next six years with Booker and Towns. They’d just have to put defense and shooting around them. Josh Jackson is a nice start as a potential defensive stopper and secondary ball-handler. Grab another three-and-D wing and point guard and this team could content in the near future.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns to the Boston Celtics for Jayson Tatum, Guerschon Yabusele and the Los Angeles Clippers' 2019 1st round pick (lottery protected in 2019 and 2020, converts to 2022 2nd rounder if not conveyed by then)


May 15, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) walks off of the court after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of the Eastern conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden.  Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Boston fans wouldn’t want to trade Jayson Tatum for Towns, but Boston fans wouldn’t trade Tatum for 1991 Michael Jordan either. They are irrational. Tatum is excellent, a future All-Star who already excels offensively and plays good defense. At his best, he’ll probably be something like Paul Pierce. Towns, at his best, might be Shaq. No team in their right mind would choose Pierce over Shaq.

Tatum’s limited athleticism and already advanced offensive game make it fair to wonder just how much room he has to grow. He will never be an elite defender. He isn’t quick enough. He already shot 43.4% from three-point range, so even if he is the best shooter in NBA history, his percentages don’t have much room to grow. Only his volume will improve, but as it has in the playoffs, his percentage has fallen to 32.1%. That regression is a bit extreme, but Tatum is probably only going to be a good three-point shooter. Maybe a very good one. But he’d have to get to great to challenge Towns offensively. He’ll never be a particularly valuable passer. His isolation game loses value on a team with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.

Towns needs the ball in his hands as well, but Hayward giving up shots makes more sense with Towns, who is already arguably a top-five scorer in the NBA, than it does for Tatum, who might one day get there but isn’t close now. Towns also helps Boston’s rebounding, which was only 13th in the NBA this season. He offers a different dimension offensively that makes Irving, Hayward and the rest of the team that much more valuable.

Boston has no shortage of switchy defenders without Tatum. A lineup with Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford can still switch 2-4. Marcus Smart can help that cause off of the bench, even if retaining him in a world in which Towns gets the max next season is harder financially.

And if there’s anyone in basketball who can coax good defense out of Towns, it’s Brad Stevens. The Celtics were 12th in the NBA in defense with Isaiah Thomas in 2016-17. Towns isn’t nearly that bad, and Stevens makes him better in almost every regard. He also inflates Tatum’s value. In a vacuum, Tatum vs. Towns isn’t even a conversation. Stevens makes it one, which is exactly why the Celtics should make that deal if given the chance.

If the Celtics hold out, it’s not because of Towns. It’s because they’re waiting on Anthony Davis. Davis is better than Towns. But a top-seven of Irving, Hayward, Brown, Horford, Towns, Smart and Terry Rozier wins the championship over the Warriors next season. Horford is the only player in that group older than 30. Irving is the third-oldest among them and he is 26. The Celtics still have two more valuable incoming picks from the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings. This roster is a dynasty. Don’t mess around with that. If Towns is available, go get him.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns to the Milwaukee Bucks for Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Thon Maker and unprotected first round picks in 2021 and 2023


Apr 3, 2018; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) shoots during the first quarter against the Boston Celtics at BMO Harris Bradley Center.  Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

This the least valuable package that the Timberwolves are presented with here, and it’s one they should only take if they are inexplicably denied star-level returns from every other team in basketball. But weirder things have happened in NBA history, and this package makes sense in the short-term for a team with Thibodeau. If he really has won a power struggle with Towns and has the freedom to make whatever move he wants, this is the kind of decision he might make.

Middleton and Jimmy Butler fit together flawlessly. Their defense would be the cornerstone on which the Wolves would be built. His shooting would also establish an offensive hierarchy. Middleton doesn’t need the ball. This would be Jimmy Butler’s team. Andrew Wiggins would be second in command. Malcolm Brogdon, another three-and-D player, would make more sense closing out games with that trio. Thon Maker and those picks are just nice long-term assets, particularly that 2023 pick in case this goes south and Giannis leaves as a free agent before then. Thibodeau would probably trade for a more traditional rim-protector rather than just playing Maker. Hassan Whiteside is certainly available, if Thibodeau insists on winning the 2012 championship with this roster.

The Bucks would have Towns and Giannis. Nothing else matters after that. They’d sort out the rest of the roster later. Those two get them to 50 wins and the second round automatically. Smart roster management makes them NBA champions.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns and Justin Patton to the Los Angeles Lakers for Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram


Oct 4, 2017; Ontario, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball (2) and forward Brandon Ingram (14) sit on the bench during the game against the Denver Nuggets at Citizens Business Bank Arena.  Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

This is the teardown trade. Ball and Ingram don’t make much sense on this roster. Ingram is too skinny to play power forward and hasn’t developed enough on defense to make a difference there. Ball needs the ball, and won’t get it on a team with Butler and Jeff Teague. But they are very valuable assets. The Wolves could use those.

The next step in this plan would probably be trading Andrew Wiggins, which is a tougher sell. Maybe the Raptors are desperate enough for change that they would bring him back to his home country, but would DeMar DeRozan really help this team? The Wolves could play the pyramid scheme game and trade Wiggins to a desperate team like the Knicks or Magic for more assets, and that’s probably the best move, but with Butler reaching free agency next offseason, that risks losing him for nothing.

The Wolves could trade Butler as well, but a team moving three players like that in one offseason has no precedent. The reality of a deal like this would be bringing in two very talented youngsters and hoping to figure out the rest later. There would probably be another big move down the line, but it would come in the season, after they’ve seen how these pieces work together. This won’t be Minnesota’s first choice, but it’s not a bad one if it’s on the table.

For the Lakers, this deal throws a gauntlet. It is a message to LeBron James and Paul George that they not only have a true superstar to offer them as a teammate, but one who is young enough to take on an increasingly large load as they age. The transition from James to George to Towns as the leader of this team would be seamless. In Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, along with all of their own draft picks, the Lakers would still have two valuable young pieces to trade for immediate help if they so chose. Defense would be problematic and it’s an awkward fit, but the talent alone of those three stars would make the Lakers contenders.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns, Taj Gibson and Tyus Jones to the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis and Darius Miller


May 8, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half in game five of the second round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 113-104.  Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

The Pelicans probably aren’t trading Anthony Davis this offseason. The likeliest outcome by far remains Davis being traded to the Celtics next offseason, when the Pelicans will likely be coming off of a first-round loss and will be staring down the barrel of Davis’ free agency. But a deal like this asks a philosophical question about your standing as an organization: would you rather have Davis for two years, or Towns for six?

It depends on where you are as a team. If you are ready to contend right away, you take Davis. He is better. If you have a young star who could convince Davis to stay, you take him as well.

But if you are the Pelicans, a team with no trade assets, no cap flexibility, and no room for internal development, Towns might make more sense. The Pelicans tried to cheat the system by adding only veteran talent around Davis from the moment he joined the league. The Pelicans literally have not made and kept a first round pick since taking Davis in 2012. Now, they are going to lose him because of their shortsightedness. But if they swap him for Towns, they give themselves some breathing room. They could initiate the long-term sensible rebuild they ignored with Davis. Let’s play this out.

They should still sign-and-trade DeMarcus Cousins for Otto Porter, if that deal is out there. If not? Let Cousins walk and hoard that cap space. Jrue Holiday’s value has never been higher, and some desperate team would give up picks for him. The Phoenix Suns have money to burn, an impatient owner and a desperate need for perimeter defense. How does Holiday for Dragan Bender and Miami’s 2021 first-round pick sound?

The Pelicans would miss the playoffs next season, but in Jones, they would have a potential starting point guard auditioning for them with low stakes. They would also have their own first round pick, which would yield a valuable prospect. They would be in the same boat in 2020, adding another nice young piece.

And from there, all of their bad contracts come off of the books. No more Gibson. No more Solomon Hill. No more E’Twaun Moore. The Pelicans would have Towns, Porter, Jones and Bender on qualifying offers, two recent first round picks, a valuable Miami pick down the line and potentially max cap space. That is a tidy and efficient rebuild. Their hope would be to lure a star in that 2020 offseason.

And the Timberwolves would have a core of Davis, Butler, Wiggins and Teague. That is good enough to compete for the championship right now. They’d just need to add shooting. Miller is a good start. It would be a huge risk to build around a player on an expiring deal (Butler) and another with only two years left (Davis), but the upside would be worth it.

This is the kind of trade that exists only in fantasies. It would never happen. But it should. And one side is going to have this conversation internally. This phone call will happen. Someone will hang up in 30 seconds. And if Towns is traded, it will probably be to Phoenix. But it’s fun to speculate on a deal like this. It makes too much sense to ignore entirely.

This article first appeared on The Sports Post and was syndicated with permission.

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