The Minnesota Timberwolves made a massive trade heading into the year, pairing Rudy Gobert with Karl-Anthony Towns. However, with the Timberwolves still facing an early playoff exit, Minnesota might be looking at another major shake up.
Towns is currently considered more tradeable between him and Gobert, via NBA reporter Marc Stein. Teams covert Towns' youth, making him a more profitable trade chip for the Timberwolves entering the offseason.
“Towns is also generally regarded league wide as the far more tradeable of the two given he's the younger of the 7-footers and his long distance shooting ability,” Stein wrote.
With Gobert being 31 and Towns 27, teams would prefer the younger center in a trade. For Minnesota, Towns is set to begin his four-year, $325 million extension in 2024. If the Timberwolves want to get out of that deal and build around Anthony Edwards, a trade might be their best option.
Article Continues BelowStill, Karl Anthony-Towns has been a key member of the Timberwolves since his joined the NBA in 2015. In his eight-year career in Minnesota, the center has averaged 23 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, earning three All-Star nominations in the process.
But for all his success, the Timberwolves has struggled to truly make noise in the playoffs. They've made the postseason the past two years, but failed to get out of the first round. Overall, Minnesota hasn't made it out of the first round since 2004.
The Timberwolves understand that another major trade may need to occur for the team to get over the hump. When teams start calling, they'll be asking for Towns much more than Gobert.