4 Karl-Anthony Towns trades the Timberwolves should consider

Karl-Anthony Towns trades Timberwolves should consider: 1. Thunder cash in draft chips

The Thunder have been stockpiling draft picks for quite some time now. They have 16 first-round picks and 19 second-round picks between now and 2030. Is Karl-Anthony Towns the star player general manager Sam Presti has been waiting to empty the treasure chest for?

With the unexpected emergence of Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey taking another step forward, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander establishing himself as one of the best guards in the NBA, the Thunder were almost nearly able to sneak into the playoff picture last season. They were one of the best stories of the entire season, but now enter 2023-24 with greater expectations.

In comes Karl-Anthony Towns, who would immediately slide in as the Thunder’s starting center. The Thunder were starting 6-foot-6 Jalen Williams at the power forward last season and 6-foot-10 Jaylin Williams at the center position. They were a team that played small last season, but mostly out of necessity. The only two seven-footers on the roster were Aleksej Pokusevski and Olivier Sarr. Despite being seven-feet tall, Poku is 190 pounds and spends a lot of his time around the perimeter. Sarr appeared in just nine games for the team last season.

Oklahoma City took on the salaries of Davis Bertans and Victor Oladipo in trades this offseason, but there is no guarantee either player will play an entire season with the team. Bertans has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract and an early termination option in the final year of his deal, making his contract a valuable asset in trade discussions. Oladipo’s expiring $9.45 million contract is also a worthwhile trade chip as teams look to create cap space with the NBA salary cap continuing to rise each year.

This trade would more than likely make the Thunder a playoff team in the West while the Wolves may not have much to show for this trade in the first season after it’s completed. However, it is important to note that neither Bertans nor Oladipo could be traded until Sept. 6, 2023, due to aggregate trade restrictions.

The Thunder’s potential package of picks makes this an appealing trade that the Timberwolves should certainly consider if elect to move on from their All-Star big man.