The Timberwolves had a fantastic season, making the Western Conference Finals and defeating the reigning champion Nuggets in the process. The goal for them in coming years should absolutely be to win a championship. Can they get there with Karl-Anthony Towns?
Towns was an important player for them during the regular season and early playoff rounds, but he disappeared in the Conference Finals. He's been inconsistent throughout his career, making it hard to justify his massive salary.
The Wolves have a solid replacement for Towns in Naz Reid. The easiest way to fill other holes on their team (point guard and forward depth) is to trade Towns. They have no spending power in free agency and no other ways to add large salaries to their roster due to the restrictions that come from being a second apron team.
What could an upgrade from Towns look like? Here are the deals that make the most sense.
MORE: Timberwolves free agents, spending power, draft picks
Karl-Anthony Towns contract details
Towns is signed on a four-year, estimated $221 million contract. The salary cap has not been set for the 2024-25 season yet, but he will earn 35 percent of whatever that figure lands on. That should put him in the ballpark of $49.4 million for next season.
- 2024-25: $49,350,000
- 2025-26: $53,298,000
- 2026-27: $57,246,000
- 2027-28: $61,194,000 (player option)
- 2028-29: unrestricted free agent
The Wolves can't take back more money than they send out in a trade because of the second apron. They also can't combine Towns with any other players on their roster in any trade.
Karl-Anthony Towns Nets trade
The trade:
Nets receive:
- Karl-Anthony Towns
Wolves receive:
- Cameron Johnson
- Dennis Schroder
- Cam Thomas
- 2027 Suns first-round pick
Why the Nets do it
The Nets owe three of their future picks to the Rockets, so the draft is not going to help them improve their team. They need to make moves to upgrade now.
Towns would give the Nets a great scoring option to pair alongside Mikal Bridges, shifting Bridges into a more natural secondary role. He could also help alleviate the issues from Ben Simmons' lack of shooting.
For all of the criticism that Towns gets, he's still a two-time All-NBA player. He could return to his natural center position with the Nets, unlocking even more of his scoring ability.
Cam Johnson is a very nice 3-and-D player, but the Nets have way too many quality wings to play. They are one of the few teams who would be able to recover from his loss.
Why the Wolves do it
The Wolves could certainly use a player like Johnson to give them more shooting alongside Anthony Edwards. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a breakout year, but his lack of consistent 3-point shooting was a problem during the latter rounds of the playoffs.
Thomas would also give the team some much-needed shot creation. Edwards was tasked with way too much of that responsibility, making the Wolves too easy to guard. Thomas is a young, talented scorer whose defensive issues could be covered up by great personnel around him.
Schroder would give the Wolves some backup depth behind Mike Conley. He's a good defender when locked in and one of the fastest guards in the league. He's playoff-tested and could add some playmaking.
Thomas and Schroder would also give the Wolves much more financial flexibility. Both are on expiring contracts, which could help the team re-sign Reid and Alexander-Walker in the summer of 2025.
Karl-Anthony Towns Bulls trade
The trade:
Bulls receive:
- Karl-Anthony Towns
Wolves receive:
- Zach LaVine
Why the Bulls do it
The Bulls have been looking to trade LaVine since the beginning of last season, with very little interest. He's a good player, but Chicago played better without him because of his lack of chemistry with the rest of the roster. They are listening to all offers, and this is as good as it's going to get.
Towns is a better player than LaVine in a vacuum. He would be a huge upgrade over the aging Nikola Vucevic, who looks more suited to a backup role. The Bulls would essentially be replacing one of the worst-shooting big men with one of the best, helping to fix their issue as the lowest 3-point shooting team in the league last year.
Why the Wolves do it
LaVine is a better fit for the Wolves' roster than Towns. Minnesota needs another scorer to go with Edwards. For all of LaVine's issues, he can definitely do that.
Last year was an awful, injury-plagued season for LaVine. But he had averaged 25.4 points per game on an excellent 48.9 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3 over his previous three seasons, making the All-Star game twice during that span.
LaVine isn't a great off-ball defender. Having a Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert could help mitigate his mistakes. His other main weakness is that he is a poor decision-maker in crunch time. He wouldn't have to do much though, with Edwards being the clear No. 1 in Minnesota.
This would also be a nice return for LaVine, whom the Wolves drafted with the 13th pick in the 2014 draft. He left the franchise on good terms. Bringing him back would retain the talent level on the roster while saving the team significant money due to their escalating tax bill.
Karl-Anthony Towns Cavs trade
The trade:
Cavs receive:
- Karl-Anthony Towns
Wolves receive:
- Darius Garland
- Dean Wade
Why the Cavs do it
The Cavs need to break up their backcourt duo of Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Their skills overlap too much, and Garland has looked like a shell of his All-Star self ever since Mitchell got back into town. They also need a big man who can shoot. Evan Mobley is the future of the team as one of the best defensive power forwards in the game, but his shooting is shaky.
Towns is the perfect candidate for that Mobley pairing. He's the self-proclaimed best big man shooter of all time, which is backed up by his career 39.8 percent from deep. Those aren't just catch-and-shoot 3's — he's creating shots off difficult step-backs and pull-ups that are usually reserved for more skilled guards.
Mitchell reached an even higher level when he had shooting around him. This would make the Cavs' roster fit much better and give them a shot at being the No. 2 team in the East.
Why the Wolves do it
As solid as Mike Conley has been for the team, they could use a more dynamic guard in his place. Garland is a much better scorer, a great shooter, and a good facilitator. He and Edwards should work well together. Garland is also a good lob-thrower who could pair well with Gobert.
Wade would also be a great addition to the team. He's an extremely underrated defender and a reliable career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter who would be one of the first players off the bench, serving as a poor man's Jaden McDaniels.
Like the Bulls' trade, this would also put the Wolves in a better financial situation. They would save a significant amount off their estimated $49 million tax bill and be in a better position to retain their own free agents in two years.
