There’s a lot of pressure on the Minnesota Timberwolves to compete at a high level this season, after the Karl-Anthony Towns-Rudy Gobert experiment never got to be fully realized last year due to an injury that kept Towns out most of the season.
This year, however, another 42-win season that results in an eight-seed and a first-round playoff exit isn’t going to cut it. And if they disappoint, changes could be on the way.
The most likely big-name trade candidate on the Wolves roster is Towns, who signed a four-year, $224 million extension with Minnesota last June that doesn’t kick in until next season, which will keep him under contract until the summer of 2028. The self-proclaimed “greatest big man shooter of all time” has hit 40% of his 3-pointers for his career and averaged 21 points, eight rebounds and a career-high five assists last season. At 6-foot-11 with a varied offensive skill set, it’s easy to see why Towns would pique teams’ interest if the becomes available.
One of the teams keeping an eye on Towns’ potential availability is the New York Knicks, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. Should that move happen, it would reunite Towns with Tom Thibodeau, who coached him in Minnesota. From Bondy:
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