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REPORT: Karl-Anthony Towns & Timberwolves ‘Not In Good Place’

Trey Daubert / NBA / May 19, 2018

(Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)

Is there a chance that Karl-Anthony Towns’ name gets added to the evergrowing list of disgruntled players that could be on the move this summer? LeBron James probably leads that front along with Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and now maybe KAT. One would think that the Timberwolves big three of KAT, Andrew Wiggins, and Jimmy Butler would only continue to get better. However, something strange might happen over there in Minnesota.

ESPN’s Zach Lowe talked about this topic on his podcast, The Lowe Post, with esteemed colleague Brian Windhorst:

“I don’t think Anthony Davis is going anywhere anytime soon,” Windhorst said. “But Karl Towns…now that might be a different story.”

“I said on some podcast recently that I just have a gut feeling that something crazy is going to happen there this summer,” Lowe said. “It’s not in a good place right now internally.”

You can make the argument that Towns is the best center in the league. Towns, 22, averaged 21.3 points and 12.3 rebounds for Minnesota this past season while also making the Western Conference All-Star team. Obviously, there are no other indications that the Timberwolves are looking to deal Towns but something weird is going on there. You can see just that by taking a look at the picture below.

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— Book (@DevinBook) May 19, 2018

Does Devin Booker know something that we don’t? Maybe the Big Kat is really on the way out. Phoenix could be one of those players who hold the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Suns have a ton of assets to pull off a potential deal that could pair Booker with his former collegiate Kentucky teammate. The Suns could be one player but maybe that dangerous dynasty in Boston is another emerging player to come.

“(The Celtics) want to see what the team is,” Lowe said. “And they’re not going to trade anybody until they face – they’re not going to trade anyone unless a crazy offer just walks into their lap.”

It’s tough to put an offer together that even makes sense for the Celtics making them unlikely suitors unless Ainge can rob the Wolves. Kyrie Irving isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Gordon Hayward. Both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are as close to untouchable as it gets. Boston can’t pay everyone so with Towns entering the final year of his rookie deal, a trade doesn’t seem fathomable unless a foreseen cap spike is on the horizon.