Minnesota Sports Forum

This thread isn't about realistic proposals for KAT trades or even whether the Wolves should consider trading him. As the thread title suggests, this is simply a thread for fun that presupposes a fantasy world where you are the Wolves' PBO with the current roster and have been granted the right to trade KAT straight up for any one player in the NBA. If this exercise has any value beyond just having some fun, it might reveal something about how we value KAT relative to other players in the League. Here's my list roughly in order of preference:

1. Giannis
2. Jokic
3. Doncic
4. Embiid (have reservations because of physical issues longer term)
5. Tatum
6. Mobley (mainly on potential and because he'd be a perfect fit for trajectory of Edwards & McDaniels)
7. LeMellow Ball (imagine a backcourt of Ball and Edwards)

That's my list. There are other players who are better than Towns - Steph Curry for example. But I'm also factoring in age and Towns certainly has a significantly longer career ahead of him than Steph. There are some promising young players in addition to Mobley and Ball, but they haven't proven themselves yet to the same extent.

KAT is a top 15-20 player entering the prime of his career. He's absolutely NOT in the top tier of players that can put a team on his back and be the best player on a contending squad. He's no LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, Embiid, or Giannis. It's both a talent and leadership issue. We're all aware of this.

That being said, I think it would be nuts to trade him. Teams spend a great deal of time game-planning on how to match up against him. And just because it's effective in slowing and flustering him at times, the fact they have to throw multiple bodies at him opens up things for other players. Look at how we were able to slow down Morant with the high wall, but our scheme left Bane wide open when we didn't execute our rotations to perfection. He absolutely torched us. Morant simply being on the court, regardless of him being limited, led to that outcome.

KAT doesn't seem too phased by the ascent of locker room leaders like PBev and a talent like Ant. The fact his ego seems able to accommodate what may ultimately be a secondary role on the team is a good sign. I absolutely think a team with KAT as its second best player can contend for a title.

Q-was-here wrote:KAT is a top 15-20 player entering the prime of his career. He's absolutely NOT in the top tier of players that can put a team on his back and be the best player on a contending squad. He's no LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, Embiid, or Giannis. It's both a talent and leadership issue. We're all aware of this.

That being said, I think it would be nuts to trade him. Teams spend a great deal of time game-planning on how to match up against him. And just because it's effective in slowing and flustering him at times, the fact they have to throw multiple bodies at him opens up things for other players. Look at how we were able to slow down Morant with the high wall, but our scheme left Bane wide open when we didn't execute our rotations to perfection. He absolutely torched us. Morant simply being on the court, regardless of him being limited, led to that outcome.

KAT doesn't seem too phased by the ascent of locker room leaders like PBev and a talent like Ant. The fact his ego seems able to accommodate what may ultimately be a secondary role on the team is a good sign. I absolutely think a team with KAT as its second best player can contend for a title.

Just like franchise legend, Kevin Garnett, Towns seems to be the perfect #2 guy on a team.

Sadly, McHale never figured it out with Garnett.



[Note: That's not to say Garnett wasn't the best player... only that he could have been so good with that #1 guy next to him (see Marbury and Cassell).]

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:KAT is a top 15-20 player entering the prime of his career. He's absolutely NOT in the top tier of players that can put a team on his back and be the best player on a contending squad. He's no LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, Embiid, or Giannis. It's both a talent and leadership issue. We're all aware of this.

That being said, I think it would be nuts to trade him. Teams spend a great deal of time game-planning on how to match up against him. And just because it's effective in slowing and flustering him at times, the fact they have to throw multiple bodies at him opens up things for other players. Look at how we were able to slow down Morant with the high wall, but our scheme left Bane wide open when we didn't execute our rotations to perfection. He absolutely torched us. Morant simply being on the court, regardless of him being limited, led to that outcome.

KAT doesn't seem too phased by the ascent of locker room leaders like PBev and a talent like Ant. The fact his ego seems able to accommodate what may ultimately be a secondary role on the team is a good sign. I absolutely think a team with KAT as its second best player can contend for a title.

Just like franchise legend, Kevin Garnett, Towns seems to be the perfect #2 guy on a team.

Sadly, McHale never figured it out with Garnett.



[Note: That's not to say Garnett wasn't the best player... only that he could have been so good with that #1 guy next to him (see Marbury and Cassell).]

Lucky for us, Ant landed in our laps. Now it's on him to develop into that #1 guy. It might be next season. It might be the season after. Or may be never if injuries hit him. But the playoffs seemed to offer some hope it may be sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed.

Q-was-here wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

Q-was-here wrote:KAT is a top 15-20 player entering the prime of his career. He's absolutely NOT in the top tier of players that can put a team on his back and be the best player on a contending squad. He's no LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, Embiid, or Giannis. It's both a talent and leadership issue. We're all aware of this.

That being said, I think it would be nuts to trade him. Teams spend a great deal of time game-planning on how to match up against him. And just because it's effective in slowing and flustering him at times, the fact they have to throw multiple bodies at him opens up things for other players. Look at how we were able to slow down Morant with the high wall, but our scheme left Bane wide open when we didn't execute our rotations to perfection. He absolutely torched us. Morant simply being on the court, regardless of him being limited, led to that outcome.

KAT doesn't seem too phased by the ascent of locker room leaders like PBev and a talent like Ant. The fact his ego seems able to accommodate what may ultimately be a secondary role on the team is a good sign. I absolutely think a team with KAT as its second best player can contend for a title.

Just like franchise legend, Kevin Garnett, Towns seems to be the perfect #2 guy on a team.

Sadly, McHale never figured it out with Garnett.



[Note: That's not to say Garnett wasn't the best player... only that he could have been so good with that #1 guy next to him (see Marbury and Cassell).]

Lucky for us, Ant landed in our laps. Now it's on him to develop into that #1 guy. It might be next season. It might be the season after. Or may be never if injuries hit him. But the playoffs seemed to offer some hope it may be sooner rather than later. Fingers crossed.

I agree with what both of your guys are saying! I think we (myself included) overlook how good Kat actually is because he whines so much and it's annoying. But at the end of the day he average 22/11/2/2 blks on 49/46/86 splits in the playoffs. Dude also shot 47% in the 4th Q when the wolves were collapsing. While Ant shot 27% and Dlo 20%

I agree with Lip but only the top 5 guys in the NBA i would trade Kat straight up for

MVP + Youth
1. Luka Doncic (22)

MVP
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (27)
3. Nikola Jokic (26)

All-Star + Youth
4. Jayson Tatum (23)
5. Ja Morant (22)
6. Devin Booker (25)
7. Trae Young (23)

Youth + All-Star Potential
8. Tyrese Haliburton (21)
9. LaMelo Ball (20)
10. Evan Mobley (21)

Better/Near Equal
11. Joel Embiid (28)
12. Rudy Gobert (30)

Q-was-here wrote:KAT is a top 15-20 player entering the prime of his career. He's absolutely NOT in the top tier of players that can put a team on his back and be the best player on a contending squad. He's no LeBron, Kawhi, Durant, Embiid, or Giannis. It's both a talent and leadership issue. We're all aware of this.

That being said, I think it would be nuts to trade him. Teams spend a great deal of time game-planning on how to match up against him. And just because it's effective in slowing and flustering him at times, the fact they have to throw multiple bodies at him opens up things for other players. Look at how we were able to slow down Morant with the high wall, but our scheme left Bane wide open when we didn't execute our rotations to perfection. He absolutely torched us. Morant simply being on the court, regardless of him being limited, led to that outcome.

KAT doesn't seem too phased by the ascent of locker room leaders like PBev and a talent like Ant. The fact his ego seems able to accommodate what may ultimately be a secondary role on the team is a good sign. I absolutely think a team with KAT as its second best player can contend for a title.

I agree, Q. Some of the earlier "trade KAT" sentiment was fueled by the emotion of the moment and a tendency to lose perspective - the grass is greener syndrome. One way to honestly assess KAT's value is to consider what other teams would be willing to give up for KAT. The only four players on my list of seven who I'm absolutely certain the other team would not trade straight-up for KAT are Doncic, Jokic, Giannis and Embiid. I'm not sure about Tatum. I think Cleveland might swap Mobley for KAT and that Charlotte would probably swap Ball. LeBron is the second best player of all time, but I'm sure the Lakers would love to swap him straight up for KAT