NBA Rumors: ESPN Insiders agree to watch Wolves at 2024 NBA Trade Deadline

Condition III: The Year of the KAT

It makes no sense for the Minnesota Timberwolves to sell or trade veteran power forward Karl-Anthony Towns when his value is deflated. The Timberwolves clearly have a lot invested in Towns, and value his production greatly. So, if you buy or build an expensive home, you don’t flip that home for a deep discount, do you?

Even if the Timberwolves sense that their salary cap position in the 2024 offseason will become chaotic, that adds no incentive for their front office to trade KAT prematurely. To make a trade at that time, the Timberwolves would need to get an offer that is so incredible and irresistible, that it compels the Wolves to make the deal. And the only way to attract those types of deals is for Karl-Anthony Towns to up career-high numbers.

Condition II: Other front-court players would need to have great seasons as well

If Karl-Anthony Towns is kicking names and taking ass, then the Timberwolves would want to keep him as the team lined up for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Why would the team have any reason to deal away Towns at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline? The only reason would be to free up minutes for other young players who are having a lights-out type of season as well.

If Naz Reid puts up Towns-like numbers, or other young players start showing great potential, then the Timberwolves might be willing to trade away Towns. The team would not find a trade partner if Towns struggles and the team would not want to trade Towns if there is nobody on the roster who can step up after a trade to fill his shoes in rotations.

And so, there is a fine area of intersection where Towns is playing well enough to attract trade offers, but other players must be playing well enough to take up the slack.