Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: C Derrick Favors, G Theo Maledon, F Aleksej Pokusevski, PHX 2022 1st Round Pick (Top-14 Protected, via OKC), MIA 2023 1st Round Pick (Top-12 Protected, via OKC), LAC 2024 1st Round Pick (Unprotected, via OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: C Karl-Anthony Towns, F Jake Layman
At some point, the GM Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to make a huge move. With 35 total draft picks through the 2028 NBA Draft, the possibilities for adding players to their roster via trades and the draft are endless, which is why the Thunder would absolutely be interested in Towns.
The return in this trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves is not too glorious, as Favors is just a short-term solution for their frontcourt, but Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, and three first-round picks over the course of the next three years is definitely a lot of future value.
While they could make the playoffs this season, the Timberwolves are still a long way away from being anything special in the Western Conference. Going out and trading for another high-level talent could definitely make them a better team, but there is no championship future right now with how their roster is constructed.
Both Maledon and Pokusevski could be young talents the Timberwolves look to build with and who knows who they could possibly add around Anthony Edwards and others with all the first-round compensation they get back in this trade.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: NBA Teams Monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Availability
As for Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an All-Star talent on this team and while they have a bright future, they have no identity right now. They just need time and more talent, which is why trading for Towns could really speed up the Thunder’s rebuilding process.
Even though they would trade away all of these draft picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire KAT, the Thunder would still be left with potentially 9 first-round picks through the 2024 NBA Draft, allowing them to build a very strong young core around the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander, Towns, Giddey, Dort, Bazley, and others.
