Does this trade make sense for the Toronto Raptors?
Yes. I shouldn’t need to type out a few sentences to explain why Karl-Anthony Towns would be a fantastic addition to the Raptors. Toronto is likely under the assumption that Kyle Lowry is going to walk in free agency, leaving them with Fred VanVleet, Siakam, and Anunoby as their core pieces.
While Siakam and Anunoby are valuable players, getting a guy like Towns could change the trajectory of the franchise. Maybe it would even be enough to convince Lowry to re-sign with the Raptors.
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Towns is a rare center that can score on any level of the floor. The former first-round pick out of Kentucky can post up with his back to the basket, he can score from the mid-range, and he’s developed into a remarkable three-point shooter for a big man.
After shooting 34.1 percent from beyond the arc in his rookie season, Towns has accrued an impressive 39.7 three-point percentage in his last five seasons. There aren’t many centers in the history of the NBA that have the offensive skillset that Towns possesses.
Even though parting ways with the majority of your core (if Lowry leaves) seems like a lot, Towns is worth making the trade happen. Towns would get a lot more love from fans if he were playing for a bigger-market team, as he’s been stuck playing for a irrelevant team in the Timberwolves his entire career thus far. Being able to acquire a 25-year-old phenom at the center position would be a home-run move for Toronto this offseason.
