5 Karl-Anthony Towns trades to rebalance Minnesota Timberwolves roster

5 Karl-Anthony Towns trades to rebalance the Minnesota Timberwolves roster: Portland Trail Blazers

The value in this trade could potentially need to be balanced, but the general framework of the deal makes sense for both teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves would get younger and add a star, while the Portland Trail Blazers would make a win-now move.

For Minnesota, pairing Anthony Edwards with Anfernee Simons and the third pick in the draft would immediately brighten their future by a wide margin.

Simons has shown All-Star potential, and the Timberwolves could draft one of Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller to fill out their starting lineup.

Jusuf Nurkic probably would get flipped in a separate deal or come off the bench, as his contract may have negative value at this point. The same can be said for Kevin Knox II, who would mainly be in this trade for salary-matching purposes.

There is a chance Portland would want to get better value in a deal involving Simons and the third pick, whether that be an improved defensive presence of more depth than Towns and Kyle Anderson.

However, it’s clear that the Trail Blazers are desperate to put a championship-caliber team around Damian Lillard. Towns is a perennial All-Star talent who would give them an immediate upgrade.

So, while the value may have to be adjusted a tiny bit, the general idea of this trade makes sense for both parties. Minnesota balances their team around Edwards, and the Trail Blazers form a competitive roster around Lillard.

Potential starting lineups:

Timberwolves: Scoot Henderson/Brandon Miller, Anfernee Simons, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert

Trail Blazers: Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Kyle Anderson, Jerami Grant )if re-signed), Karl-Anthony Towns