NBA Trade Deadline 2020: 5 trades that could change the NBA draft

1. Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks

This would be an incredible blockbuster trade that would shock the world. Karl-Anthony Towns was the No. 1 overall pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and has been the player the franchise has built around since he was drafted. If Minnesota decided to move him, any team would have to give up a king’s ransom to get him — especially considering that Towns is under contract for four more years.

The New York Knicks are on pace to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season after having struck out in free agency last summer. They were able to draft RJ Barrett, and need to commit to building around their young guard with a big man that can complement his game. If the Knicks were able to pry Towns away, it would make up for a lot of the whiffs they’ve had over the past several years in free agency.

For Minnesota, moving on from Towns would be a seismic shift that would change the draft landscape for years. If the Wolves are going to move him before the deadline, they need to act quickly. They’re within striking distance of the worst record in the NBA, giving them the best odds at getting another No. 1 draft pick to kickstart their next core. With the Knicks’ 2020 first round pick, they’d have what is likely another top-10 pick to grab a player this year to place alongside Jarrett Culver and their new core pieces. They’d have three additional first-round picks in the bank as they look to compete down in the future.

With Elfrid Payton, Julius Randle and Frank Ntilikina, the Timberwolves would have players that they can get minutes from as they look to get rid of the current pieces on their roster. Minnesota doesn’t have any other future first-round picks currently, and would be looking to get rid of other players — like Robert Covington and Allen Crabbe — in exchange for future picks so it could add pieces to the team. Things would be rough (even rougher than now) with Towns gone, but that’s the cost of rebuilding.