With roughly two months remaining before training camp begins, most NBA teams have essentially crafted a rough draft of what their roster will look like this season. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, the only big question remaining is whether Karl-Anthony Towns will be traded.
For several weeks now, the perception has been that Towns will remain with the team through at least the 2023-24 season. The Timberwolves have not shown any eagerness to deal him away, as they seem determined to run back the majority of the roster from year one of the Rudy Gobert experiment.
A smart decision, considering how much consistency matters when building a champion in the NBA. On top of their desire to keep Towns around, it has recently been reported that Minnesota has also set a particularly high price for other teams inquiring about trading him.
The Timberwolves want a big return for Karl-Anthony Towns.
Fred Katz of The Athletic wrote about offseason trade rumors concerning the New York Knicks (subscription required). In his article, Katz revealed he had spoken to league sources who informed him that the Timberwolves “have set a sky-high price on Towns.”
This report should come as no shock to those following recent NBA trade dealings. After summer 2022, trade packages for high-end stars have become increasingly more lucrative. Players like Rudy Gobert and Dejounte Murray both commanded huge returns from their new teams last offseason that included multiple first-round draft picks.
It is to be expected that Minnesota would set a similarly high price for any teams attempting to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. If there was ever a scenario where the Timberwolves did ship KAT out, they would be making sure they received more than enough compensation in return.
Katz also confirmed that the Wolves currently have no intention of trading Towns. “It’s not like the Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to tear their team down,” said Katz. This makes it all the clearer that General Manager Tim Connelly is betting on his current group’s talent.
Overall, this report should be a big reassurance to Timberwolves fans. Every reliable source reporting on the Karl-Anthony Towns situation has reiterated that the team is not looking to trade him. But even if that changes, they will not be budging on their high asking price. By all accounts, Minnesota should be heading into next season with their current roster intact.