One NBA writer is proposing that the San Antonio Spurs acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed the following trade idea between the Timberwolves and Spurs:
San Antonio Spurs receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Keldon Johnson, Devonte’ Graham, Cameron Payne, 2024 first-round pick (top-six-protected, via TOR) and 2025 first-round pick (via ATL)
“Towns, a career supplier of 23 points per game on 52.6/39.5/83.5 shooting, could check whatever box Wemby needed at the offensive end,” Buckley wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “It might be as simple as spacing the floor, splashing spot-up triples and setting him up with on-time and on-target deliveries, but Towns would have the entire offense funneled through him at times, too. Having a pair of premier scorers like this would enhance the coaching of Gregg Popovich and the playmaking of Jeremy Sochan. Opposing defenses would be stretched so thin focusing on the bigs that support scorers like Devin Vassell, Doug McDermott and Malaki Branham could feast buffet-style on open shots.
“As for San Antonio’s own defense, it has more than enough stoppers to cover up Towns’ shortcomings. Vassell or Sochan could split the toughest assignments with Wembanyama protecting the paint and Towns hiding out on the least threatening frontcourt option. With a grandmaster like Popovich moving all the chess pieces around, the Spurs would always have a way to scheme themselves around Towns’ weaknesses.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs Updates
Towns averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season while shooting 49.5% from the field, 36.6% from beyond the arc and 87.4% from the free-throw line. The three-time NBA All-Star signed a four-year, $224.2 million designated veteran player extension with the Timberwolves in July 2022.
Minnesota hasn’t gotten past the first round of the playoffs in the Towns era, which began in 2015-16. Many people around the NBA are keeping an eye on Towns’ future with the Timberwolves in the wake of Anthony Edwards signing a five-year maximum contract extension that could be worth up to $260 million.
NBA insiders Tim MacMahon and Jamal Collier of ESPN think Towns is a player who has flown under the radar in free agency but could be a big storyline at the 2024 February trade deadline.
“There has been some discussion about Towns, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if that gets much louder as the trade deadline nears,” MacMahon wrote. “The face of the franchise for the Timberwolves has transitioned to Edwards, fresh off signing a new potential supermax extension. If Minnesota is going to make another major change, it would need to be by trading Towns.”
Added Collier: “Minnesota did not live up to expectations last season and had Towns not missed such a significant portion of the campaign with an injury, there might already be more questions surrounding that roster.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs Updates
The Spurs would have a lethal frontcourt of Towns and Victor Wembanyama if San Antonio’s front office figured out a way to acquire Towns from Minnesota.
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