B/R’s proposed trade brings Zach LaVine back to Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves did an excellent job of retooling their roster at the February trade deadline. Shipping out D’Angelo Russell and bringing in the more experienced veteran Mike Conley has proven to be a home run move for the franchise. Getting Nickeil Alexander-Walker as well was the cherry on top.

With the end of the Timberwolves’ season on April 25, Minnesota became eligible to once again make trades with other teams. It is unlikely they complete any new deals before the NBA Draft on June 22, but anything is possible with how in-demand Karl-Anthony Towns is. If the Wolves do not move him for a 2023 first-round draft pick, there are sure to be intriguing offers coming in all summer long.

Plenty of fans will be drawing up ideas for how their squad could ultimately land Towns. The newest imagined trade scenario involving the Timberwolves’ multi-skilled big man comes from Bleacher Report. Their staff devised a deal with the Chicago Bulls that will surely raise some eyebrows.

Bleacher Report’s trade would involve Minnesota sending Karl-Anthony Towns as well as Taurean Prince to Chicago in exchange for Alex Caruso and former Timberwolf Zach LaVine. No picks are attached to this deal, with the salaries matching up surprisingly well.

Many Timberwolves fans will look at this trade and think Minnesota is not getting enough in return for their star and a crucial role player. But there are reasons to believe this trade would be a success for both sides.

Bringing Zach LaVine back to the Timberwolves could be a better fit than it appears.

When discussing Karl-Anthony Towns, his unique offensive gravity is always a relevant point of discussion. It would be hard to find any one player in the NBA that can replicate all that he brings to the floor. But in terms of raw scoring power, Zach LaVine’s expansive offensive repertoire would go a long way toward replacing that production.

With LaVine in the starting lineup and Jaden McDaniels sliding to the four, the Timberwolves’ starting five would become significantly smaller, but their offense would likely thrive with Anthony Edwards and LaVine slashing through opposing defenses.

Of course, defense could become a question for Minnesota as well until you factor in the addition of Alex Caruso. LaVine is not the strongest defender, but neither is Towns. Bringing Caruso off the bench would give the Timberwolves an insane group of talented defenders. Lineups with Edwards, Caruso, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert all on the floor would be incredibly hard to score on.

Taurean Prince’s production would be missed off the bench in this scenario, but that may not matter as much if Minnesota is able to hold onto Naz Reid as well. In all, this trade would give the Bulls a solid boost in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and could very well be a solid solution to the Timberwolves’ situation with Karl-Anthony Towns.