Trade Towns?

[Lipoli390]

I'll start out by stating that I continue to believe we should build around KAT. And I think it's clear that's exactly what Rosas intends to do having traded for KAT's best friend to be the team's other "star."

But there's part of me that's almost prepared to say we should blow it up and start over by trading Towns and Russell on or just before draft day this year. We all saw the third-hand report a few weeks ago about Towns intending to leave. I didn't put much stock in it, but the story was repeated everywhere. At the same time, our so-called leader skipped out on the Wolves' bubble camp to frolic with his babe. Is Towns just all talk?

What I find interesting is that Towns has never refuted or even addressed the report about him being "as good as gone." Think about that as you read the following about Bradley Beal in the face of the otherwise baseless chatter that the Wizards might deal him:

"Beal recently joined the On the Road with Buck & Phil podcast and discussed his future with the Wizards after signing his two-year, nearly $72 million extension with Washington last October. Here's part of what he had to say when asked what it would mean for him to stay in D.C. for his entire career: "That would mean the world, man. I'm a loyal guy. I want to be here. I'm here. I've signed my extension. And that will mean the world to me. That honestly would you know, being able to finish your career in one place? You know, you don't see that in today's game." 4 days ago - via Frank Urbina @ HoopsHype

I've been one of KAT's staunchest defenders on this Board, in spite of his failure to improve his defense or show an ability to lead over five seasons as well as his constant and annoying whining at the officials. In the midst of a pandemic with his teammates gathering in a bubble for a much-needed mini-training camp after a shortened season, he parties with his hot girlfriend. And when a story, however doubtful, spreads about him wanting out, he remains silent. His talent is elite. But it's fair to question whether he's the type of person you can build around. I'm beginning to understand why Butler couldn't stand him. And I'm losing patience with him.

If the Wolves do trade KAT now, which I don't see happening, I think they'll need to deal Russell as well. I can see dealing them as a package, which other teams could find appealing. Again, I'm not advocating for trading KAT now. I'm just beginning to open my mind to the idea.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

I don't see the benefit to trading him before we ever know how he and Russell fair as a duo in the West. He's never played with a true scoring threat primary ball handler like Russell before. I think if they stay healthy they'll both post big numbers offensively this year and then we can trade him to get much better value next offseason. The last thing we should be doing is selling out now to get more picks in this draft. I think one more year of the Philly experiment not working will get Simmons or Embiid on the table and then you just need to find the right third dancer to help facilitate the deal. Towns to Houston, Harden to Philly, Simmons to MN for example. Or Towns to Sacramento for Buddy, Bagley and an unprotected pick. Or Towns to Phoenix for Ayton, Bridges, Johnson and an unprotected pick. There's lots of options that just need another year to flesh out if they are worth it or not.

[WildWolf2813]

1. you're selling KAT at his all-time lowest stock, on and off the court. He might be the most disliked player in the league right now.

2. if I'm Rosas, I'd need handwritten assurances (i.e. a long term deal of my own) before I make that sort of massive shift. Without it, it would guarantee that whatever Rosas would trying to build, he'd never see it come to fruition. Who would take him seriously? While he's trying to find the perfect star, what would Rosas be doing in the short term besides lose some more? If he has no conviction in his plan, KAT is the least of the your problems. If you go out of your way to blow a team up and trade for a guy only for him to get 1 game in with his fellow cornerstone player, the league will not take Rosas seriously and they'll continue to not take the Wolves seriously.

3. For anyone who continues to harp on the absence of Towns for some workouts in September which will have no bearing on the regular season and the optics of it, I have two words for you: Bahamas Vacation.

I personally think that KAT and Russell likely won't be around past 2022, but that's because I think building a team to be the poor man's Rockets makes your team poor, period. Everyone owes it themselves to see what comes of this. Leadership will come if the team wins games and progresses. Right now, show me a leader and I'll show you a guy who is smart enough to not want anything to do with this team.

[Monster]

On Towns being quiet...he has been quiet since his mom passed away. I'm not going to give complete benefit of the doubt there but I'm gonna give him a lot. Towns has still been around and doing things in the community etc. meanwhile he currently is the franchise. His pal Russell is here. Maybe he has changed his mind about the franchise it's possible but I need to see or hear something more before I really worried. I am a little worried but everyone likely has been for at least a year. We have to get better or he will want out and even if Towns is some of the problem I think it will also be somewhat justified.

I'm not against the idea of trading him but you have to get a massive offer. I think I might actually be more likely to keep Russell depending on what I got back. Maybe now we are just dealing with a poor defending shot making guard instead of Also an elite Offensive but below average Defensive C. Again would anyone here want to be sort of rebuilding with Jamal Murray on the roster? I'd want to get good value for Russell if I was dealing him.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

I've been advocating trading him since before the pandemic ended the season, as I am in the Abe camp that you can't build a consistent winner around an all-offense/no defense big. And I've never been a big fan of DLO.

Having said that, I don't think this happens in real life. Rosas wants to give the KAT/DLO tandem a chance.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

I don't think that's a good idea. Agree on letting him and Russell have at least one full season together.

[Monster]

I've been advocating trading him since before the pandemic ended the season, as I am in the Abe camp that you can't build a consistent winner around an all-offense/no defense big. And I've never been a big fan of DLO.

Having said that, I don't think this happens in real life. Rosas wants to give the KAT/DLO tandem a chance.

Rosas has been here (checks the internet) almost a year and a half but that includes a shortened season including a pandemic and a season where he traded away nearly the entire roster. We are a few days away from his 2nd draft and therefore the start of his 2nd actual "year" cycle of Basketball operations. Like you said in real life Rosas isn't going to move on from Towns now and it also makes some sense to me that There could be some sort of hope in some way shape or form that this group of players executives and coaches could move forward in some meaningful way in year 2.

I think the skepticism about building around Towns is valid but I also wonder at this point if the team would really be better off trading him. It seems like trying another year makes some sense especially depending on how someone views Wiggins impact on the floor.

Side note: I know the NBA is a little wild but when was the last time this franchise had a somewhat "normal" offseason? It's really something.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

This will be the first season in a while where the team doesn't have to hope and pray for nightly production out of one of their highest paid players. Andrew Wiggins is gone and replaced by a more consistent, better contributor in D'Angelo Russell. That alone will make a significant difference over the course of an 82-game season. Now, not all of the woes Minnesota has were Wiggins' fault, but I think the current building blocks will mesh much better with each other and create more of that "gravitational pull" than previous duos we've had therefore making it easier to compliment them with other pieces.

Will this core ever become a title contender? Not without some key moves along the way, but I think they should be a legit playoff team more often than not.

[thedoper]

This will be the first season in a while where the team doesn't have to hope and pray for nightly production out of one of their highest paid players. Andrew Wiggins is gone and replaced by a more consistent, better contributor in D'Angelo Russell. That alone will make a significant difference over the course of an 82-game season. Now, not all of the woes Minnesota has were Wiggins' fault, but I think the current building blocks will mesh much better with each other and create more of that "gravitational pull" than previous duos we've had therefore making it easier to compliment them with other pieces.

Will this core ever become a title contender? Not without some key moves along the way, but I think they should be a legit playoff team more often than not.

Love the optimism. Do you think this year? I think they are still quite lacking with their wings, makes it hard for me to see a playoff team in that. I hope you're right though.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

This will be the first season in a while where the team doesn't have to hope and pray for nightly production out of one of their highest paid players. Andrew Wiggins is gone and replaced by a more consistent, better contributor in D'Angelo Russell. That alone will make a significant difference over the course of an 82-game season. Now, not all of the woes Minnesota has were Wiggins' fault, but I think the current building blocks will mesh much better with each other and create more of that "gravitational pull" than previous duos we've had therefore making it easier to compliment them with other pieces.

Will this core ever become a title contender? Not without some key moves along the way, but I think they should be a legit playoff team more often than not.

Love the optimism. Do you think this year? I think they are still quite lacking with their wings, makes it hard for me to see a playoff team in that. I hope you're right though.

This year would be the season I'm least confident in for the future of this core for the same reason you pointed out. I don't love our situation at the wing positions. I think Malik Beasley is probably best-suited to be a sixth man on a good team, but he's likely to be our starter. I think Josh Okogie is nothing more than a solid rotation player albeit with possible defensive accolades in his future. I think Jarrett Culver is very similar to Okogie in that regard, though he plays under more control. That also means he can't muck up a game like Okogie can, for better and for worse.

That's also why I would not shy away from a Buddy Hield trade. Or a Luke Kennard. Or a Kevin Huerter. But I also wouldn't overpay for those guys either, obviously.

I believe that Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell can carry an offense between themselves. They're that skilled, in my opinion. But right now, as of today, I don't think there's enough complimentary pieces around them. There isn't that defensive big. There isn't a reliable 3/D wing or two. There isn't that spark plug scorer off the bench. The good thing is that those pieces are more attainable than an All-Star and the Wolves objectively have two to work with for the foreseeable future.