Ranking the 5 NBA stars most likely to be traded after James Harden

4. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves made one of the worst trades in recent memory, trading a slew of assets to the Jazz in a deal that landed them Rudy Gobert. The fit made little sense at the time with Karl-Anthony Towns already in Minnesota and one year into the experiment it's still awkward at best.

The Timberwolves won 42 games in the regular season last year and earned a playoff berth after their Play-In victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They were then discarded in five games against the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. Their best-case scenario this season is likely another first-round exit with how stacked the top of the Western Conference is.

The Wolves are headed in the opposite direction of the rest of the NBA by playing two centers together while the league is playing smaller. With that in mind, parting with one of Towns and Gobert makes a lot of sense. Considering the fact that Minnesota just acquired Gobert and the fact that he has nowhere near the value Towns has, Minnesota parting with the 28-year-old makes more sense.

The Timberwolves should look to not only clear up the middle of the court for Anthony Edwards to go to work, but they should also look to clear up money for an Anthony Edwards extension. Minnesota would have to go deep into the luxury tax if they paid and kept all of Gobert, Edwards, Towns, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels. A Towns deal would help Minnesota in a number of ways, while also allowing them to recoup much of what they lost in the Gobert deal.