Karl-Anthony Towns has long been the leading star player on the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. He is the best shooting center in the league and an elite shooter period.
There have long been rumors linking Karl-Anthony Towns with an exit from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Those rumors only intensified after Karl-Anthony Towns’ Twitter account liked a “Free KAT post on Twitter, though he later stated that he was hacked.
If Towns were to get traded though, it’s likely that he would have a lot of suitors vying for his services. Plenty of teams would be willing to give up huge trade packages to acquire him. Here are the 3 best trade packages for the Minnesota star.
3. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Clint Capela, Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 first-round pick from OKC (1-14 protected), 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
This trade package for Towns from the Hawks was mentioned a while back in one of our articles, and it features the Hawks making a consolidation trade. In this scenario, they would be trading away multiple pieces in order to get Trae Young a top-tier co-star.
Clint Capela is as reliable as they get in terms of centers. He is averaging 10.6 PPG and 11.2 RPG thus far in the 2021-22 season while being a great rim protector. While he’s no star, Capela can certainly play good minutes. The key acquisition for the Timberwolves here will be Cam Reddish, who is a wing player that has shown shot-creation ability and is shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc. He could thrive with increased usage and opportunity. Kevin Huerter had a solid playoff run and would be a capable shooter to put next to D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards.
As far as picks go, the Timberwolves would get three first-round picks in this scenario. While the Oklahoma City Thunder pick may not convey, the other two first-rounders should give the Wolves solid enough draft compensation. They could either use those picks or move them in a future trade to better the team. The second-round pick here is a sweetener.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Trae Young would quite possibly be in contention as being a top-3 duo in the Eastern Conference. They would be able to split the offensive load between one another and be the 1A/1B offensive options and having two players that command multiple defenders is a recipe for success. They would also still have PF John Collins on the roster, and their big 3 would certainly be able to compete with any Eastern Conference contender.
2. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Dario Saric, 2024 first-round pick
This package was previously reported on by Nico Martinez of Fadeaway World, and created by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report. The package features the Phoenix Suns moving Deandre Ayton who was reportedly upset with the Phoenix Suns over issues with his contract extension.
Obviously, the headliner of this trade package from the Phoenix Suns is Deandre Ayton. While he has had a reduced usage rate on the Phoenix Suns the last year, he is certainly capable of producing when given increased responsibility, and during the 2019-20 season, he averaged 18.2 PPG and 11.5 RPG.
Jae Crowder and Dario Saric are both shooting forwards, and there’s no question that they are solid role players. They are in there for salary purposes, but they’d also be solid veterans to put on a young Timberwolves team. The first-round pick would likely be low-value, and it’s simply an extra sweetener to get the deal done.
Karl-Anthony Towns is great friends with Devin Booker, and he’d give the Suns a top-tier center to pair with Devin Booker and Chris Paul. He’d also provide a perimeter presence, something that Ayton has not done thus far in his career. There is no question that the Phoenix Suns with Towns would have the talent to get back to the Finals, and they’d even be able to compete against teams such as the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, who have big threes of their own.
1. Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, 2022 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick
There has been a lot of talk about how forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum fit together, and more specifically about whether they can win together. In this hypothetical scenario, the Boston Celtics would be moving Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece of a trade to give Jayson Tatum an All-NBA caliber player as his running mate.
The Minnesota Timberwolves would be receiving a great two-way star in Jaylen Brown with this trade. Brown is currently averaging 25.6 PPG and 6.1 RPG while shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc. He is also a great perimeter defender who can take on tough assignments. Brown would improve the Timberwolves’ defense, and a big 3 of D’Angelo Russell/Anthony Edwards/Jaylen Brown will certainly be competitive in the Western Conference.
The Timberwolves would also get center Robert Williams to replace Towns in the rotation, and he’s a solid shot-blocker who is also mobile enough to guard perimeter players. They would also get some draft compensation to reflect the difference in ability between Towns and Brown. Two first-round picks should do the job.
On the Celtics, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jayson Tatum would be able to wreak havoc offensively. There’s no question that this duo would be a solid foundation for a championship team, and with an extra trade for a difference-making player, they would certainly be in the contender tier.
