Reportedly, Karl-Anthony Towns was brought up in trade discussions last month for the Timberwolves

Last season, the Timberwolves finished eighth in the West and barely snuck into the postseason. They lost in five games to the Denver Nuggets and it was a disappointing season for veteran big man Karl-Anthony Towns. He played in just 29 regular-season games and averaged (20.8) points. According to league sources, Towns was brought up in trade discussions last month for the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

In the 2015 NBA Draft, the Timberwolves took Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick out of Kentucky. He won Rookie of the Year in 2015-16 and is a three-time all-star. Over his eight-year career with Minnesota, Towns has been an elite two-way player.

As a former #1 overall pick, the Timberwolves would certainly want a nice haul in return for Towns. At 27 years old, the New Jersey native is just entering the prime of his career. He could draw trade interest this offseason, but the Timberwolves might not be willing to part ways just yet.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ name came up in trade talks last month, per @IanBegley

“There were talks between the Timberwolves and other teams before the draft and Towns’ name came up. I don’t know how aggressive the Timberwolves were with Towns, if at all.”

(h/t @realgm) pic.twitter.com/qX4IWt4qph

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 14, 2023

It’s highly unlikely that the Timberwolves trade Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason

Ian Begley of SNY and ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently sat down on “The Lowe Podcast” to discuss Karl-Anthony Towns trade rumors. Per Begley’s reports, Towns was involved in trade talks last month with the Timberwolves. He said that he was unsure if Minnesota was actually serious about trading Towns.

Teams will often do this in the offseason or near deadlines. They reach out about a player that might not be for trade at the moment to get a feel for the market. This could have been the Timberwolves’ plan when they repeatedly had Towns in trade discussions.

Last offseason, the Timberwolves made a blockbuster trade for three-time DPOY Rudy Gobert. It was a strange move, to say the least. Minnesota already had their All-NBA in Karl-Anthony Towns. However, the front office must have been wanting more size and Gobert offered that.

In games that both Towns and Gobert played last season for Minnesota, they went 14-13. So far, their plan to run two centers in the starting lineup has been average at best. If the 2023-24 season starts off slow, the Timberwolves could be real contenders to change up the roster quickly. Who knows if Towns would be a part of that hypothetical change?