NBA Trade Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns Could Soon Follow In The Footsteps Of James Harden

All-Star shooting guard James Harden may have found a new home in Brooklyn, but there are still plenty of blockbuster deals expected to happen before the trade deadline or in the offseason. Since “The Beard” got what he wanted, disgruntled stars from losing teams could soon follow in his footsteps and find their way out of their respective organizations. According to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, one of the superstars who could demand a trade next is Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

No one would be surprised if Towns expressed a desire to leave the Timberwolves. Despite the arrival of his close friend D’Angelo Russell last season and the addition of Anthony Edwards in the 2020 offseason, nothing has changed in Minnesota. So far this season, they still struggle to consistently win games, sitting at the No. 15 spot in the Western Conference with a 3-8 record.

If they fail to find a solution to the problem, Towns will likely grow more frustrated with the Timberwolves and eventually ask them to find him a new home. With the All-Star center currently healthy and with plenty of years left on his contract, the Timberwolves would be expected to demand a huge haul for their franchise player. In his article, Quinn mentioned some of the teams that could express a strong interest in acquiring KAT from Minnesota. These include the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Phoenix Suns.

“The usual suspects will likely be involved. If Miami hasn’t found a superstar by then, the Heat will make their inevitable offer. The pick hoarders like New Orleans and Oklahoma City may be ready to act by then as well. The Suns will likely open the bidding as favorites considering Towns’ friendship with college teammate Devin Booker and the presence of a readymade replacement in DeAndre Ayton, but this far out, too much can change for anything to be deemed particularly likely. New suitors will emerge, and existing ones will drop out.”

The Heat, Pelicans, Thunder, and the Suns would be intriguing trade partners for the Timberwolves in the potential blockbuster deal involving Towns. All of them have an interesting collection of assets and could offer Minnesota a package that includes young prospects and future draft picks.

Of all the potential landing spots, Quinn viewed the Suns as the “favorites” to land KAT. Towns is a close friend of the face of the Suns’ franchise, Devin Booker. Since entering the league in 2015, they have dreamt of playing together on the same team. To convince the Timberwolves to engage in a blockbuster deal, they could offer them a package centered on former No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton.