The NBA is a star-driven league. In the end, you’re only likely to get as far as your best player gets you. With that in mind, the best teams in the NBA tend to roster the league’s best players.
With that said, there’s a scarcity dilemma at play here. There are 30 teams in the NBA. There are somewhere between 5 and 10 players who can lead you to a title. Meanwhile, every non-contender can’t tank – only five teams can finish in the bottom 5. So, some teams build around a player who probably can’t lead them to a title.
Take the Minnesota Timberwolves. At this point, it feels obvious that Karl-Anthony Towns won’t lead them to an NBA title. Could Anthony Edwards? That’s less certain. Could the Wolves finally trade Towns in an effort to find out?
The Trade Proposal
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: F Julius Randle, G Immanuel Quickley, 2026 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2028 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: F/C Karl-Anthony Towns
With that said, some would argue that the championship-or-bust mentality is hurting the NBA. Some teams can’t hold that standard. That doesn’t mean that their season was a failure.
Take the Knicks. Nobody expected them to compete for the NBA title last year. Realistically, they didn’t. Still, even a second-round exit exceeded expectations. The Knicks were widely celebrated for the season that they had, even if they didn’t win an NBA title.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & New York Knicks Updates
Typically, it’s about gauging a team’s talent level and then looking at it in relation to their outcome. With that said, the Timberwolves had a disappointing 2022-23 by that same standard. Could they trade Towns this summer as a result?
Why The Minnesota Timberwolves Do The Deal
In a sense, this is about correcting a previous error. Towns is one of the worst defensive big men in the NBA. The Timberwolves acquired Rudy Gobert to cover for him. Unfortunately, Towns struggled equally as much to guard the perimeter.
So, Gobert and Towns may not be a good fit. Unfortunately, trading Gobert isn’t likely to be a viable option. The Wolves gave up a king’s ransom to acquire the former Defensive Player of the Year. At this point, they won’t get nearly the same type of return for moving him.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & New York Knicks Updates
So, they’re trading Towns. This feels like a solid return. Randle isn’t a defensive ace either, but he’s less of a liability than Towns. Meanwhile, he provides strong offense in his own right. Throw in a talented young guard like Quickley and two unprotected first-rounders, and the Wolves may not be able to turn this down. Should the Knicks?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
Meanwhile, Towns isn’t an obvious fit in New York either. The Wolves failed to pair him with Gobert. Why would the Knicks try to pair him with a similar drop coverage big in Mitchell Robinson?
In all likelihood, they wouldn’t. We would assume that the Knicks would shop Robinson following this deal. If they wanted, they could seek a versatile defensive forward in return for him. Such a player ought to be a better partner for Towns.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & New York Knicks Updates
Anyway: enough about defense. This is all about offense. Towns is a more talented player than Randle, and that’s why the Knicks are acquiring him. He’s one of the best offensive big men in the NBA, and he should make the Knicks a better team – whether he can lead them to a title or not.
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