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The Minnesota Timberwolves came up short of the NBA Finals. However, their 2023-24 season was an overwhelming and resounding success. Not only did they make the Western Conference Finals, but they took down the defending champion Denver Nuggets along the way. If he isn't there already, Anthony Edwards is on track for superstardom. Minnesota is great, but a trade could elevate them to another level. If there was a player the Wolves might look to trade in the summer to upgrade elsewhere, Karl-Anthony Towns could be that guy for a few reasons.
Karl-Anthony Towns' erratic play
For starters, Towns' postseason track record has been spotty at best. His shooting splits in the playoffs aren't that bad (46.8/35/82.4) but they are a step down from his regular season numbers (52.4/41.6/83.9). He also is wildly inconsistent, which is part of why his numbers regress in the postseason. Of Minnesota's 16 playoff games this year, Towns shot 45% or worse from the field in exactly eight of them.
It isn't as if Towns is making up for that on the defensive end of the floor either. While he has made strides there, he still hasn't become a sturdy defensive player in part due to his propensity to pick up silly fouls. He picked up at least four fouls in nine of the Wolves' 16 playoff games this year. Towns also did that in seven of 12 playoff games the previous two seasons.
The full Karl-Anthony Towns experience was on full display in Minnesota's 105-100 Game 4 win over the Dallas Mavericks, their lone win of the Western Conference Finals. Towns was exhilarating on offense, dropping 25 points on 9-13 shooting. But he also fouled out with at least five of those coming on stupid decisions he didn't need to make and shouldn't have made.
Towns can certainly be an impact player in the right situation and circumstance. He finds himself there right now with Minnesota. But with the state of their roster, they may not need him to keep the winning going.
The Timberwolves roster and money crunch
Towns has helped forge Minnesota's identity of being massive just about everywhere on the field. His shooting and ability to create offense help them get away with having two seven-footers on the floor. The thing is that the Timberwolves also have Naz Reid under contract who can do a lot of things that Towns does.
That isn't to say that Reid is a better player than Towns, but the Wolves don't have many avenues to improve their roster. Thanks to the Rudy Gobert trade, Minnesota has just two first-round picks they can trade during the 2024 NBA Draft, including the draft rights to the 2024 24th overall pick.
The Timberwolves can use that pick to trade for another reliable role player or to bring in another young player into their program. But they'll need more than that and a pick in 2030 to substantially upgrade their roster. That's where Minnesota's brass may need to make a tough decision regarding Towns. Not only there, but from a financial standpoint as well.
The Timberwolves are currently above the second apron as things stand. That's with just 10 players signed to an NBA contract. Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris are slated to become free agents and may not be able to be brought back because of this financial situation. One way to free up money and roster spots, however, is to divide Towns' impending $49.3 million into multiple pieces.
Minnesota doesn't have to do anything drastic yet. They have a good thing going and a core and identity they just proved can advance deep in the playoffs. But if they want to shake things up, their options are limited. Their best path at doing so may be to trade Towns. This is a situation to monitor closely.
