In 2015, the Minnesota Timberwolves struck gold, drafting big man Karl-Anthony Towns, but after four years of shortcomings, his time could soon be up
It could be argued that Karl-Anthony Towns is underrated.
Given that at just 23 years of age Towns boasts career averages of 23 and 12 on 54/39/84 splits, the possibility of him being underrated seems incredulous.
Such is the current state of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Through four seasons Towns has been to the playoffs once. In that lone trip, he was part of a scrappy eight seed who took one game off the Houston Rockets. As the Timberwolves have faltered into the background, willowing in mediocrity, they’ve dragged Towns there with them.
And it’s at no fault of Towns. His lack of a supporting cast has meant that a deep playoff run has been nothing more than a pipe dream.
Other than Jimmy Butler – who’s been and gone from Minnesota, ventured to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers and signed with the Miami Heat, all in the space of two years – Towns has lacked a second star.
It’s no surprise that while Butler was around Towns secured his one and only playoff triumph.
The Timberwolves’ situation is tricky. Acquiring star talent is difficult at the best of times – being in a small market, cold-weather city adds layers of difficulty to an equation already problematic.
Those aforementioned factors virtually take free agency off the table – and the proof is in the pudding. The best player to join the Timberwolves via free agency in the last 20 or so years is…Joe Smith? A fine player, yes. The franchise’s greatest ever free agency snag?
Yikes.
The avenue of a trade is clearly the most realistic path for the Wolves to acquire a second star, and there are reasons for hope via this avenue.
It’s been shown on a number of occasions in the past few years that seemingly no one is untradable. If the price is right, teams are less reluctant to part with big-name guys than in times past.
Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Paul George, and Blake Griffin are all prime examples. While their situations may have varied, the premise ultimately remains.
Unfortunately, there remains a slight roadblock in this approach.
Andrew Wiggins‘ contract is gargantuan.
His max deal runs through the 2022-23 season, in which he’ll be earning an absurd $33.6 million for the season.
Wiggins’ lack of improvement since his signing of that contract back in 2017 brings about a multitude of issues.
Not only is he clogging up Minnesota’s cap space while providing Towns with insufficient support, but he’s made himself almost untradable. The combination of a poor skillset and a giant deal doesn’t generally tickle the fancy of many GM’s.
Given Wiggins remains in Minnesota following multiple plateauing seasons since the signing of his max deal, it seems persistence is the route the Wolves higher-ups have decided upon with the Canadian.
Still only 24, there’s room for *some* optimism. Though banking on Wiggins to be Towns’ robin would be foolish.
With Wiggins seemingly around for the foreseeable future, competency and solidity should be the priority of new GM Gersson Rosas.
While Minnesota could feasibly open up a slot for another high-level guy, providing Towns with support in the form of fitting pieces is the simpler and perhaps best route.
Towns would remain the undisputed number one option in the offense this way while boasting the luxury of capable guys around him to knock down open shots and play solid defense on the other end.
Three-and-D guys like Robert Covington. A point guard who can run pick-and-roll and hit an open shot. Veterans who can control the locker room and still contribute on a nightly basis.
Towns doesn’t need much. His talent is generational.
The new regime under first time GM Gersson Rosas looks to be a bright one. The former assistant GM in Houston, Rosas’ resume is stellar and his peers respect his abilities immensely.
Before joining the Wolves, Rosas was linked with the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets vacant GM roles while serving as Daryl Morey second in command at the Rockets.
A Towns departure looks by no means imminent, but Minnesota must be proactive. This past year demonstrated that superstars will only persevere at a stalling franchise for so long. The era of player freedom is well and truly underway – and the Timberwolves need to be wary of that.