**The Official Karl-Anthony Towns Thread: Part Two**

[younggunsmn]

As much as it would be great to get our hands on Giddey and/or their treasure trove of draft picks,
I think their front office is way too smart to touch KAT's contract.
Especially in their smaller market.
I just don't think he is a fit there.

You make it sound like Giddey is Chris Paul. He is not at all star level yet and may not reach it. OKC are going to paid out 3 max contracts if Giddy or Chet turns out to be selected to a single all star game. So it's either paid Towns or Giddey/Chet. As I said before, there will be 50 max contracts in NBA in a few years. Basically, any players ever makes a single all star game near their contract year will get a max contract.

You are severely underrating Josh Giddey.
He put up 16/8/6 on 48% shooting last year, and if he keeps improving his 3 point shooting he will be a multi time all-star.
SGA is an undersized ISO scoring guard, and Giddey is the perfect compliment as a big guard who can defend, rebound, pass, and take it to the rim. OKC would not trade him for KAT straight up and it isn't even close.

KAT does not just have a max contract, he has a 7-10 year vet supermax contract, which is 10+ mil a year higher than your standard max. His extension will start about 15 mil a year higher than Ant's for example.
He has a contract that was supposed to be reserved for MVP contender level players at the time that the concept of a supermax contract was introduced.

[Slim Tubby]

My guess is that it will be Gobert. He will only be 32 yet still four (4) years older than KAT and have 2/$90M left on his deal with the second year being a PO. He will be seeking one last substantial long-term contract meaning he will opt out of the second year and become a VERY tradable asset.

How many significant assets are you sending out with Gobert to get off of that contract? 2/91 and 32 years old.
I think some are still stuck on the idea of prime peak value DPOY Gobert versus reality of a 30+ 7'2" big man playing a reduced role here compared to those Utah years.
He would need a DPOY type season again to move his trade value back into positive territory, and even that is marginal when his contract is taken into account.
And if that happens, you are probably running that team back.

There is no way on god's green earth he turns down 47 million dollars as a 33 year old, he will never touch that kind of money again.
A player with similar value and age in Vucevic just re-signed for 3 years and 60 million, less than half what Rudy is owed over the same period.

We would have our own '31 1st to trade next summer and pickswaps in '24,'28,and '30.
You want to add more picks to the original Gobert trade to get off of his contract?
Best case, we take on a highly negative contract or 2 for 20-25 million total to a team with the room and willingness to absorb his 2/90 remaining next summer.
Players so negative they are getting DNP-CD'd or out for the year with injuries (Lonzo Ball for example), and whatever team is taking Gobert is getting draft capital from the team(s) dumping said contracts.

Example:
To Min: Lonzo Ball + 25 mil cap space
To Was: Gobert + 1st round pick (s) from Chicago absorbed using cap space
To Chi: Salary/Tax relief for Lonzo Ball

Not saying that would work or is even feasible, just that is one kind of framework for sending out Gobert without attaching assets.
That's the reason the talking heads are speculating more on KAT getting moved rather than Gobert, because KAT could potentially be moved for positive value.
Although it sounds like his gigantic supermax extension is making teams hesitant about making realistic offers.

For what it's worth, I think we are stuck with Gobert for the next 3 years, and best case we get the owners to pay 30 million in luxury taxes each year in '24 and '25. We are just going to have to try to make it work on the court and hope he can develop some chemistry with Ant and be a difference maker and we have a super expensive roleplayer splitting time with Naz.

KAT, if he is traded, I hope it is for value/fit and not because of salary concerns.
His contract will have concerns beyond the Gobert timeline ( which is the next 3 years), as he will be making 60 million+ the first 2 years post-Gobert, when Ant and Jaden will be entering their primes.
I would look at this as our 2nd window, and if we do trade KAT, one of my primary objectives would be to add a big or PG who fits into that window. Maybe that guy isn't in even in the league yet, which is an argument for waiting.

Worst case, mandate comes down from ownership next summer regarding cutting salary for tax concerns.
Trading KAT/Naz/Jaden is the only realistic way to do that.

Nope. Gobert would opt out of his 1/$46M for a new 4/$120M fully guaranteed contract if "agreed" to prior to a trade that would cost no assets. That new contract will seem very reasonable with the upcoming cap increases.

[Klomp]

Nope. Gobert would opt out of his 1/$46M for a new 4/$120M fully guaranteed contract if "agreed" to prior to a trade that would cost no assets. That new contract will seem very reasonable with the upcoming cap increases.

This is the type of thing I could see happening as well. Honestly, it may not even cost that much....

[urinesane]

Ownership, Finch, and this roster want to WIN (especially Ant). Every single proposed trade of KAT undermines that goal by bringing back assets that either don't move the needle or set the timeline for winning (i.e. getting to the 2nd round) back at least a season or two (if not three). Connelly has said that the goal is to get past the first round, so that is where their sights are set. Unless a team makes an offer that isn't just mid level pieces and future FRPs, KAT isn't going anywhere this offseason.

I for one am glad that they aren't looking to kick the can down the road again by trading KAT for pennies on the dollar, because they already have the future stars ON THE ROSTER and two current stars in Gobert and KAT. Trading a current star for a "potential future star" is a terrible move, especially if it's just to save some money in the future. If this team is a winner, revenue will go up (as well as the value of the franchise) and as just mentioned Gobert is older, so it makes more sense on the current Ant timeline to move him when the time comes rather than KAT.

Trading Gobert down the line makes the most sense since you can find a defensive minded center easier than a unicorn (KAT) of a center that is so versatile on offense (and not nearly as bad on defense as his critics would have you believe).

Running it back is the only choice that makes sense for their stated goals.

I do think Ant, Jaden and Reid continuing to get better and develop new skills can get you to the 2nd round with Gobert. We pretty much made the play-in last season without Kat and our core young three getting better is only going to improve the team. Hell had we beaten LA, we may have made the 2nd round or further this past season. Most of the proposed trades on here for KAT are terrible and I wouldn't touch, but there are realistic returns that I think you have to consider if they present themselves.

The fact is that while they could potentially make the playoffs and contend for the 2nd round without KAT, they are a MUCH better team with KAT on the roster. There is no denying that KAT improves this team's ability to win and that is the goal of the FO currently (while keeping in mind Ant's timeline). The best thing they could do for Ant's longterm future with the franchise is win early and often, so far they've done a decent job of that with the rosters/injury misfortune they've had.

You can talk about the future and money all you want, but if someone thinks this team is BETTER without KAT, they are just trying to confirm their bias against him.

The best roster this team can have this season includes a healthy KAT, period.

[urinesane]

Never forget:

Watch on YouTube

[Klomp]

Never forget:

Watch on YouTube

28/11 in just 29 minutes. A masterful performance when his team needed it most!

[urinesane]

Never forget:

Watch on YouTube

28/11 in just 29 minutes. A masterful performance when his team needed it most!

There's been so much noise, people forget how dominant he can be (and he isn't past his prime in that regard).

Short memory spans around here.

[guest81]

Never forget:

Watch on YouTube

28/11 in just 29 minutes. A masterful performance when his team needed it most!

There's been so much noise, people forget how dominant he can be (and he isn't past his prime in that regard).

Short memory spans around here.

Thing is, this should be a standard for KAT at this point, not a highlight. That line was on par with Jokic's worst game in the playoffs for example

[urinesane]

28/11 in just 29 minutes. A masterful performance when his team needed it most!

There's been so much noise, people forget how dominant he can be (and he isn't past his prime in that regard).

Short memory spans around here.

Thing is, this should be a standard for KAT at this point, not a highlight. That line was on par with Jokic's worst game in the playoffs for example

Have you gotten your troll card in the mail yet?

[Klomp]

There's been so much noise, people forget how dominant he can be (and he isn't past his prime in that regard).

Short memory spans around here.

Even against the Lakers, he was the only positive for the Wolves. While Ant shot 3-17, Towns finished with 24/11/5 and was a +18 (Conley and NAW were next-best at -1).

Watch on YouTube

[guest81]

There's been so much noise, people forget how dominant he can be (and he isn't past his prime in that regard).

Short memory spans around here.

Thing is, this should be a standard for KAT at this point, not a highlight. That line was on par with Jokic's worst game in the playoffs for example

Have you gotten your troll card in the mail yet?

I don't follow. Did I say something incorrect?

[cmoss84]

I'm bored and it's 110 where I live. Just throwing out a hypothetical...no more, no less.

MN in: SGA and Davis Bertans
MN out: KAT

OKC in: KAT and Lilliard
OKC out: SGA, Bertans, Wallace, Gay, Oladipo, 3 1st rd picks

Portland in: Wallace, Gay, Oladipo, 3 1sts
Portland out: Lilliard

MN: SGA, Ant, Jaden, Naz, Rudy
OKC: Lilliard, Dort, Giddey, KAT, Chet
Portland: rebuild

[KGdaBom]

I'm bored and it's 110 where I live. Just throwing out a hypothetical...no more, no less.

MN in: SGA and Davis Bertans
MN out: KAT

OKC in: KAT and Lilliard
OKC out: SGA, Bertans, Wallace, Gay, Oladipo, 3 1st rd picks

Portland in: Wallace, Gay, Oladipo, 3 1sts
Portland out: Lilliard

MN: SGA, Ant, Jaden, Naz, Rudy
OKC: Lilliard, Dort, Giddey, KAT, Chet
Portland: rebuild

KAT for SGA I would probably do, but do we have to take on Bertans??? Yuck.

[cmoss84]

Just trying to match salaries a bit. Maybe we get a 1st for taking Bertans on? Or we trade him when/if possible.

[MN7725]

Begley (Knicks reporter): "There were talks between the Timberwolves and other teams before the draft, and Towns' name came up. I don't know how aggressive the Timberwolves were with Towns - if at all - but the Knicks could have gone there as well and they clearly have decided not to go there at this point."

Zach Lowe: I find myself torn on KAT. I can't quite quit KAT. I'm not sure how serious Minnesota was...I don't know what really happened with KAT around the draft. We all can look at the cap sheet and look at how many big men they have and look at their level of team success last year and understand that this is really their only way out of the Gobert trade is trading KAT...we've been saying that since 5 minutes after the Gobert trade happened. I can't quit him because of the offensive skill set is so prodigious. He did finish the playoffs in fairly strong form in Minnesota's last 3 games after some stinkos in the first two games...maybe he turned a little bit of a playoff corner. I also do feel like he's going to be - if and when he gets traded - potential change of scenery, get the Minnesota baggage off his back, get him with a guard who is maybe a better fit for him, I think there's some change of scenery potential on him. On the other hand, every time he opens his mouth on a podcast....OMG can you start denying the appearances, just don't go on the podcast. The playoff track record is what it is, the defense is what it is. I said to you on a podcast a few months ago I'm not sure he's the guy I would throw all my chips in for, and now he's sort of...if I'm the Knicks, he's the one I'm like: Who's the one that's better than him that might be coming down the pike, he's the benchmark. I guess that means I'm still not putting all my chips in for him quite yet, and I want to see what pops up. Is that fair or are they gung-ho for him?

Begley: What I had heard was some people felt the salary was too onerous, at least at this point - this was a couple weeks ago - they felt that the salary was going to hurt them later in his deal. But listen, I think obviously the dynamic can change at the drop of a dime. I do think though that if they loved the idea of Towns, they could've had him. That's my read of the landscape in general, so I think that tells you they don't see him as the ultimate fix for everything or the player to take them to the next step no questions asked. I think there are questions there. But I think you have to see now even if you're slightly interested Towns, I think you have to see how this develops into the trade deadline. If Minnesota struggles, I think they're almost backed into a corner at that point where they have to make a big move whether at the deadline or at the end of the season, because how much longer can you let the Towns-Gobert-Naz Reid experiment play out without success?

Watch on YouTube

Why do we give a rat's ass whether Begley thinks the Knicks could have acquired KAT?

the point is that Wolves were discussing it with other teams

if Begley had said that the Knicks had reached out about KAT and the Wolves had responded he's untouchable, that would be just as relevant and worth posting about

if anyone has a link or podcast where someone "in the know" had something along those lines, i hope someone posts it too, but it seems like that isn't the situation

none of this is gospel
reporters exaggerate, get lied to or used by teams, but its really all we as fans have to go from

[KGdaBom]

Begley (Knicks reporter): "There were talks between the Timberwolves and other teams before the draft, and Towns' name came up. I don't know how aggressive the Timberwolves were with Towns - if at all - but the Knicks could have gone there as well and they clearly have decided not to go there at this point."

Zach Lowe: I find myself torn on KAT. I can't quite quit KAT. I'm not sure how serious Minnesota was...I don't know what really happened with KAT around the draft. We all can look at the cap sheet and look at how many big men they have and look at their level of team success last year and understand that this is really their only way out of the Gobert trade is trading KAT...we've been saying that since 5 minutes after the Gobert trade happened. I can't quit him because of the offensive skill set is so prodigious. He did finish the playoffs in fairly strong form in Minnesota's last 3 games after some stinkos in the first two games...maybe he turned a little bit of a playoff corner. I also do feel like he's going to be - if and when he gets traded - potential change of scenery, get the Minnesota baggage off his back, get him with a guard who is maybe a better fit for him, I think there's some change of scenery potential on him. On the other hand, every time he opens his mouth on a podcast....OMG can you start denying the appearances, just don't go on the podcast. The playoff track record is what it is, the defense is what it is. I said to you on a podcast a few months ago I'm not sure he's the guy I would throw all my chips in for, and now he's sort of...if I'm the Knicks, he's the one I'm like: Who's the one that's better than him that might be coming down the pike, he's the benchmark. I guess that means I'm still not putting all my chips in for him quite yet, and I want to see what pops up. Is that fair or are they gung-ho for him?

Begley: What I had heard was some people felt the salary was too onerous, at least at this point - this was a couple weeks ago - they felt that the salary was going to hurt them later in his deal. But listen, I think obviously the dynamic can change at the drop of a dime. I do think though that if they loved the idea of Towns, they could've had him. That's my read of the landscape in general, so I think that tells you they don't see him as the ultimate fix for everything or the player to take them to the next step no questions asked. I think there are questions there. But I think you have to see now even if you're slightly interested Towns, I think you have to see how this develops into the trade deadline. If Minnesota struggles, I think they're almost backed into a corner at that point where they have to make a big move whether at the deadline or at the end of the season, because how much longer can you let the Towns-Gobert-Naz Reid experiment play out without success?

Watch on YouTube

Why do we give a rat's ass whether Begley thinks the Knicks could have acquired KAT?

the point is that Wolves were discussing it with other teams

if Begley had said that the Knicks had reached out about KAT and the Wolves had responded he's untouchable, that would be just as relevant and worth posting about

if anyone has a link or podcast where someone "in the know" had something along those lines, i hope someone posts it too, but it seems like that isn't the situation

none of this is gospel
reporters exaggerate, get lied to or used by teams, but its really all we as fans have to go from

Is this Begley guy in the know?

[MN7725]

Why do we give a rat's ass whether Begley thinks the Knicks could have acquired KAT?

the point is that Wolves were discussing it with other teams

if Begley had said that the Knicks had reached out about KAT and the Wolves had responded he's untouchable, that would be just as relevant and worth posting about

if anyone has a link or podcast where someone "in the know" had something along those lines, i hope someone posts it too, but it seems like that isn't the situation

none of this is gospel
reporters exaggerate, get lied to or used by teams, but its really all we as fans have to go from

Is this Begley guy in the know?

I don't follow the Knicks or him close enough to know for sure, but he's been around a long time, travels with the team and the most popular basketball writer (Lowe) has him as his go-to for any Knicks discussion

Lowe typically has "this is the state of the team" type reporters, rather than "personalities" or hot-take bomb throwers

but idk or really care, I just find it interesting July dead zone discussion

[KGdaBom]

the point is that Wolves were discussing it with other teams

if Begley had said that the Knicks had reached out about KAT and the Wolves had responded he's untouchable, that would be just as relevant and worth posting about

if anyone has a link or podcast where someone "in the know" had something along those lines, i hope someone posts it too, but it seems like that isn't the situation

none of this is gospel
reporters exaggerate, get lied to or used by teams, but its really all we as fans have to go from

Is this Begley guy in the know?

I don't follow the Knicks or him close enough to know for sure, but he's been around a long time, travels with the team and the most popular basketball writer (Lowe) has him as his go-to for any Knicks discussion

Lowe typically has "this is the state of the team" type reporters, rather than "personalities" or hot-take bomb throwers

but idk or really care, I just find it interesting July dead zone discussion

Thanks for the info. It's as good as I could have hoped for. I'm always skeptical about writers claiming they know things. I'm skeptical of this guy.

[wolves_89]

Why do we give a rat's ass whether Begley thinks the Knicks could have acquired KAT?

the point is that Wolves were discussing it with other teams

if Begley had said that the Knicks had reached out about KAT and the Wolves had responded he's untouchable, that would be just as relevant and worth posting about

if anyone has a link or podcast where someone "in the know" had something along those lines, i hope someone posts it too, but it seems like that isn't the situation

none of this is gospel
reporters exaggerate, get lied to or used by teams, but its really all we as fans have to go from

Is this Begley guy in the know?

My take is that this is about as close to nothing as it gets. The only reporting is that Towns was mentioned in trade talks around the draft (which is probably true of the majority of players in the NBA). The rest of the content is pure speculation and opinion which I tend to ignore when it's from guys who have no ties to the Wolves. If this was from Krawczynski or Moore I might give it some weight, but these guys are just trying to get views in the bigger media markets (i.e. New York).

[KGdaBom]

Saying trade Towns is beyond obviously as stupid as it gets. Without saying who/what we are trading him for it is completely worthless. I've put a name on who to trade Towns for. Luka Doncic. If for him yes do it.