3 Karl-Anthony Towns trades if Wolves twin-towers lineup proves unsustainable

Karl-Anthony Towns has had horrendous playoff moments and if the Minnesota Timberwolves aren't able to win a championship or at worst get to the Finals, his massive contract and the looming luxury tax may put him on the trade market.

In the playoffs, Towns put up 19.1 points and nine rebounds on .466/.361/.855 splits. His shooting splits are worse than his .501/.416/.873 regular season splits. Despite that, Minnesota still made their first conference finals appearance in two decades.

This was the first full year the Timberwolves got to experience the twin-towers lineup of Towns and Rudy Gobert. It proved successful with them having the best defense, the fourth-best record in the league and a Western Conference Finals appearance. If they are unable to improve or take a step back because of Towns not showing up in the playoffs, then they will explore a trade considering how much it will cost to keep this team together.

Here are three trade ideas in the twin towers experiment fails.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns for Kawhi Leonard

The Los Angeles Clippers have experienced a major setback this offseason. They lost Paul George to the 76ers and lost Russell Westbrook to the Nuggets. It's just Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. The odds of them having a legit chance to contend is very low.

This trade could be a simple one-for-one swap. Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Leonard’s salary match. Chances are, Minnesota would have to give up the little draft compensation they have left or Rob Dillingham to get Steve Balmer to agree to a deal.

This is a high-risk, high-reward trade for the Timberwolves. The risk with trading for Kawhi is that there's no guarantee that he'll be available throughout the season. The reward is getting a legit superstar, a two-time finals MVP, and one of the best two-way players in the league.

The Timberwolves may lose out on size but they'll be the best defensive team in the league, but this time will have someone who shows up offensively in the playoffs. As long as Anthony Edwards keeps rising, they'll have two superstars and a great supporting cast.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns for Brandon Ingram

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a spot where they need to either give Brandon Ingram a max extension or trade him. As it looks, they do not want to pay him over $50 million for the next four years. The Timberwolves should consider getting him in a swap for Karl-Anthony Towns.

If New Orleans wanted to pull this trade off now, they would have to give up Ingram, Trey Murphy, and Jordan Hawkins to match Town's salary.

This could also be a win for both sides. The Pelicans don't need to take on Ingram's extension, they get a stretch five for Zion, and a fourth star. This would also let Herbert Jones start along with Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum. For the Timberwolves, they get an All-Star and two great bench pieces.

Most may view Towns to be a much better player than Ingram, but in the one healthy playoff series Ingram played, he played great. The role players are also very good, and the added draft compensation can be used to get more pieces or another star if one becomes available.

1. Karl-Anthony Towns for Kevin Durant

There is a very good chance that Kevin Durant demands a trade from the Phoenix Suns if they can’t compete for a title. Karl-Anthony Towns and Kevin Durant's salaries match, so a one-for-one swap would be most beneficial for all parties.

The Timberwolves would be getting one of the 15-best players ever who is also a two-time finals MVP. Durant is Anthony Edwards' favorite player and after getting time to know each other in the Olympics, not only did Durant take a liking to Edwards, but they also built chemistry. Durant's playstyle fits every team, so there wouldn't be any offensive stalls. Minnesota also wouldn't lose much defensively in this exchange, just a little bit of size.

For the Suns, they replace an aging superstar with a player who has just entered his prime. As a matter of fact, Towns and Devin Booker were college teammates and always talked about playing together. This is their chance to do that, their chemistry would be great, and they could still be a playoff team.

The Timberwolves' best chance of winning the finals if they trade Towns is to get Kevin Durant. The value and experience he brings to the table are only met by a few players in the league. All the supporting pieces, plus a co-star are there to have a legit chance to win a championship.