NBA Rumors: Timberwolves could acquire top 5 draft pick

Since their season ended, there has been much speculation into the direction the Minnesota Timberwolves will take this summer. On one hand, they seem determined to run it back with their current core and see what they can ultimately achieve with the pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert.

But on the other hand, opportunities for them to make a swing for the fences appear to be growing. With rumors of Karl-Anthony Towns potentially being on the trading block only growing louder, it seems that the ambitious General Manager Tim Connelly might eventually have an offer that is too good to pass up.

On Wednesday, Marc Stein provided some insight into the mindset of some of the teams picking near the top of the NBA Draft. While the San Antonio Spurs are clearly locked into selecting Victor Wembanyama with the top overall pick, Stein reported that each team drafting from two through five is open to trading away their pick (subscription required).

Teams picking at the top of the NBA Draft are open to trading down.

This news may come as something of a surprise to fans, given the level of talent that will be present in the first five picks of the draft. Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller and others all have potential to be impact players in this league from day one.

But it makes sense that these teams are open to moving down in the draft given the caliber of player that they could potentially trade their pick for. Several teams have had their eyes on Karl-Anthony Towns, and the idea of him being thrown in a package for a high draft pick has been floated for weeks.

It is certainly debatable whether the Timberwolves would be open to moving on from Towns or not, as the organization has not made their position clear one way or the other. But if they did deem it a worthy gamble to deal their multi-skilled big man, it appears the return could be significant.

Whether a Towns trade ultimately goes down or not will likely depend on how Minnesota values some of the players projected to be taken in the two-through-five range in the draft. If they do not believe a player like Amen Thompson or Cam Whitmore will give them the immediate impact they desire, they will likely pass on any proposed trades.

But if they are particularly high on a certain top prospect or if they get a trade offer that includes a haul of players or picks, do not be surprised to see the Timberwolves pull the trigger. It is rare to see so many teams be willing to give up a top pick, and this could be the ideal time for Minnesota’s front office to make a bold move and get a big return.