NBA Rumors: ESPN Insiders agree to watch Wolves at 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
By Bret Stuter
Can expert consensus get it wrong?
While a consensus of NBA experts, pundits, and insiders carries some weight, it’s by far and away not a sure thing. Particularly now in the sports universe of Skip Bayless, Colin Cowherd, and Stephen A. Smith, reporting is as much about triggering emotional responses as it is about passing along information. Emotions equate to controversy, and controversy equates to views.
While I’m not suggesting that professionals who have highly regarded reputations in any professional sport are guilty of outright lying, I do believe that there is a strong bias towards SWAG-ging speculation. Scientific Wild Arsed Guessing. So what would it take for the Timberwolves to trade Karl-Anthony Towns at the trade deadline?
Condition IV: The Timberwolves would need to fall short of expectations
For the Minnesota Timberwolves to willingly engage in trading a player of Karl-Anthony Towns’ status, one of two situations would need to be present. Either he would need to make trade demands, much like that of Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets last season, or the Minnesota Timberwolves would need to be so far out of the NBA Playoffs picture by the time the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline arrived, that the Timberwolves would be compelled to trade Towns to shed his salary cap spike.
But Towns has repeatedly stated that he loves playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. So that means that the team will keep Towns, with the exception of the team playing far below expectations again.
Is that, realistic?
Perhaps. If injuries resume, and barrage the Timberwolves roster throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, there could be another letdown. Still, that seems unlikely to me. Not only did the team make moves to synch up players on the roster at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, but the team addressed the players who were underperforming on the Timberwolves roster in the offseason. Even if the team does face injuries in the 2023-24 NBA season, the Timberwolves should be in a better position to compete.
But to make these NBA Rumors believable, the Timberwolves will need to struggle. Now, what else?