Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves came into the 2022-23 NBA season regarded by many as a dark horse Western Conference Finals contender.
Over the summer the front office expended a ton of trade and draft capital to acquire Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz. The hope was that he and Towns would play well off each other, since on paper they do sort of check off the other’s weaknesses.
Unfortunately, due to injuries and overall bad chemistry the Wolves could never really get it together. They half-heartedly staggered into the playoffs and put up a feeble fight against the No. 1 seeded Denver Nuggets.
Eventually Towns and Co. got bounced in five games.
Minnesota’s latest postseason failure has led to questions about Towns’ future with the Wolves. Although he is under contract through 2026-27, if the organization wants to commence with a rebuild around Anthony Edwards, Towns is the best trade chip they have at their disposal.
According to NBA insider Sean Deveney, the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are all squads to watch if Minnesota opts to move on from Towns.
“Among the teams executives mentioned as potential suitors for Towns: Brooklyn and Miami (two teams that will inevitably come up in any potential superstar trade talks in the next six months, though the Heat’s Jimmy Butler has a rocky history with Towns), Portland (in a Damian Lillard deal?) and Indiana,” he wrote.
“Should Boston consider dealing away All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, which is a longshot, the Celtics could offer the best single player in return for Towns. But if a Towns moves comes about, New York is the likeliest landing spot.”
Towns is a supremely talented player. But it’s also hard to ignore that he makes far more headlines these days for the provocative outfits his girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, wears to his games than any substantive basketball accomplishments.
At least Will Levis’ sister had a good night. https://t.co/4Uoe2d0EaC
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 28, 2023
Last season Towns averaged 20.8 points on nearly 50 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent shooting from three, along with 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Unfortunately, he was limited to a mere 29 outings.
Towns has not been healthy for a full season since 2017-18.
Will the Timberwolves ultimately opt to blow this roster up and start building anew around Edwards? One way or another, an answer will emerge this summer.
Related: Meghan Markle’s Wild Lakers Game Outfit Raises Eyebrows (Photos)
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
