Heading into the 2022-23 season, it was clear that the Minnesota Timberwolves would be leaning on their two core talents throughout the year in Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. The addition of Rudy Gobert was a massive change, but he was never going to have as big of an impact on winning as those two.
Over the course of the season, we saw Anthony Edwards take a huge leap in his development and cement himself as one of the most talented young players in the NBA. Towns, on the other hand, missed 52 straight games with a calf injury, dividing up his year and making it difficult for him to build consistency.
As a result, the seemingly yearly discussions of trading KAT were brought up once again, much to the dismay of many Timberwolves fans who are tired of the topic. However, we may have actually hit a point where it makes sense for Minnesota to pursue a trade for the big man this time around.
3 reasons why the Minnesota Timberwolves should trade Karl-Anthony Towns this summer:
1. To build around Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards is option number one in Minnesota for the foreseeable future, and that has never been more apparent than it is in April 2023. Ant’s offensive repertoire has continued to expand to that of a superstar bucket-getter, and he has become a staunch defender as well.
As such, Tim Connelly and the rest of the front office should be focused on building the team to best suit Edwards’ talent. If they want to remain a playoff contender for the next decade-plus, they need to do everything they can to keep Edwards happy.
There are probably some situations where it could make sense for them to keep Karl-Anthony Towns around, but those scenarios are no longer the top priority for the Timberwolves. KAT is the longest-tenured player on the team and is one of the greatest players in franchise history. But if Minnesota lets that cloud their judgement and starts catering to fan favorites, they will be in for a rude awakening.