Does this trade make sense for the Minnesota Timberwolves?
Trading Karl-Anthony Towns does not make much sense for the Timberwolves in general, but if they do decide to move on from him, the Pelicans definitely can offer one of the better trade packages for him.
Ricky Rubio is a solid point guard, but he is not the future of the Timberwolves’ backcourt. Lonzo Ball definitely can be and at 23-years-old, is already one of the most versatile point guards in the league. He can score, shoot, facilitate and play off-the-ball, which is why Lonzo Ball would be a huge addition for the Timberwolves.
Jaxson Hayes is not close to being the talent that Towns is, but he is more than capable of growing into a sustainable, versatile center. Not to mention, the T-Wolves would still have Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid in their frontcourt, both of which are young players who have a lot of potential to grow given the opportunities.
The best part about this trade for Minnesota though is the fact that they get a ton of draft picks over the next several drafts. The Lakers’ first-round pick in 2021 would be a 2022 unprotected 1st Round Pick, since it is protected 8-30, meaning the T-Wolves would have a total of three first-round picks in 2022, two first-round picks in 2024 and the possibility to end up with better position in the first-round in 2023 and 2025.
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Not only does this give the Timberwolves the capability to continue adding versatile, young talents to their roster, but it gives them the capability to build with Anthony Edwards, Malik Beasley and now Lonzo Ball as their core moving forward. Not to mention, they would still have D’Angelo Russell on their roster as the All-Star leader of this team.
Making this trade gives Minnesota a great chance to be successful and sustainable over the next several years, which is why trading Towns in the offseason may not be that bad of an idea, but again, is a longshot possibility at this point.
