4 Karl-Anthony Towns trades the Timberwolves should consider
By Lior Lampert
Karl-Anthony Towns trades Timberwolves should consider: 3. New duo in Charlotte
KAT to the Hornets
While the Wolves-Bucks hypothetical trade offer would arguably make Minnesota a top-five team in the Western Conference, this trade would be made with an eye toward the future. This is an opportunity to move off of Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract and recoup draft capital/young talent in the process.
In 2024-25, Towns will be in his age-29 season and just entering the first year of a four-year, $222.6 million contract extension he signed with the Timberwolves. They’re also going to be paying Gobert $41-46 million each of the next three seasons (assuming he opts into his 2025-26 player option). Anthony Edwards also just signed a five-year extension worth up to $260 million to keep him with the team for the foreseeable future.
That is a lot of money to invest in three players for a team that barely made the playoffs last season. The Hornets are not normally a team that players view as a free-agent destination, so they could be extremely desperate to get a star player to come join LaMelo Ball in Charlotte by any means necessary.
Gordon Hayward’s best days are behind him and it is tough to count on him to play more than 50 games in a season, but when he is on the floor he is still an effective player who can help the Wolves in the short-term. His expiring $31.5 million contract could help the Timberwolves free up cap space and build a more talented roster around Edwards/Gobert.
Nick Smith Jr. was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and showed flashes of the potential he has to be an NBA point guard. Still only 19 years old, he’d gain valuable knowledge sitting behind Mike Conley. The draft picks would help make up for some of the five first-round picks and one pick swap they gave for Gobert.
The T-Wolves would be wise to consider this trade if they want to head salvage some of the assets they gave up to get Rudy Gobert.