Sometimes, it’s good to experiment. Trying something new can yield rewards. At the same time, there’s no guarantee that your experiment will work out. Some NBA teams learn that lesson the hard way.
The Minnesota Timberwolves underwent an experiment last season. This team paired Karl-Anthony Towns with Rudy Gobert. The logic was simple enough. The Wolves saw that Towns was a poor rim protector. Why not pair him with the best rim protector in basketball?
Unfortunately, the experiment hasn’t worked out so far. Neither Gobert nor Towns can guard the perimeter. In a perimeter-oriented league, that’s a problem. The Wolves watched Towns chase quicker wings around the perimeter all season to no avail. Could they trade him to the Miami Heat as a result?
The Trade Proposal
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: G Tyler Herro, G/F Caleb Martin, 2027 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2029 First-Round Pick (MIA)
Miami Heat Receive: F/C Karl-Anthony Towns
When should you give up on an experiment? Sure, you’re not getting the results that you want now. Who’s to say that the experiment doesn’t simply need more time? If you give up too early, you may always wonder what might have been.
Here’s the question: What is the likelihood of success? How strong are your principles? In other words: should the experiment work? This applies to NBA basketball as well. You may have an experimental roster. Are there reasons, on paper, to believe it will work?
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & Miami Heat Updates
If anything, the Wolves have reasons to believe that this won’t work. Once again: the 4 spot is occupied by big wings in 2023. Towns has slow feet, and he struggles to guard them. It feels like the Timberwolves will struggle on defense as long as they keep this duo together. Should the Heat really want to trade Towns with Bam Adebayo?
Why The Miami Heat Do The Deal
To answer that question, we need to look at the differences between Adebayo and Gobert. Gobert is likely the best rim protector in the NBA, but he’s stationary. He struggles to defend in space, which can make it difficult for him to guard the pick-and-roll. By contrast, Adebayo is perhaps the most versatile defensive big in the NBA.
That makes him a much better fit alongside Towns. Adebayo has always been the type of big that Towns should be paired with. On the offensive end, the pairing is equally perfect. Towns’ ability to space the floor and create shots would be a perfect complement to Adebayo’s unique floor vision.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & Miami Heat Updates
Meanwhile, parting with Herro shouldn’t be an issue. After all, the Heat just made a run to the NBA Finals without him. If they’re willing to part with a pair of first-round picks and Martin in order to upgrade their roster, they should like this deal. Should the Timberwolves make it?
Why The Minnesota Timberwolves Do The Deal
You may be asking yourself a simple question. Towns is better than Gobert, right? If the Timberwolves are splitting up this duo, shouldn’t they trade Gobert? Well, they won’t get value. Gobert is on a massive contract – at best, a team might be willing to take a chance on him by matching his contract value.
By contrast, teams would give up value for Towns. This deal is roughly market value. This deal would leave the Wolves with a young, talented roster. The offense would be built around Anthony Edwards and Herro, while Gobert and Jaden McDaniels could be the foundation of the best defense in the NBA. Meanwhile, Martin is a fantastic addition to this rotation as well.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves & Miami Heat Updates
Still, the draft capital matters here as well. The Timberwolves gave up a lot of it to land Gobert – getting some back is critical. All told, this could be enough to motivate Minnesota to move on from Towns – even if it means putting an end to their experiment prematurely.
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