After a 137-121 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to 9-31. They gave up over 30 points every quarter in the loss, and Anthony Davis or Marc Gasol didn’t even play. They are the defending champions, I get it, but it was still yet another baffling performance defensively for a team that has looked the same statistically, even with Chris Finch taking over.
Following the game, Kendrick Perkins took to Twitter to weigh in on the Wolves.
It’s a no from me, Perk. Anthony Edwards has been sensational. There’s no doubt about it. Stars around the league have taken notice of what he’s done as a rookie. He is undoubtedly untouchable on this roster. But he’s not the only one.
Can I interest you in some Karl-Anthony Towns? It seems crazy, but some people have floated out the possibility of trading KAT for a massive return.
Towns is just 25 years old, and he has been yearning for a wingman his whole time in Minnesota. Andrew Wiggins wasn’t it, and we haven’t seen him and D’Angelo Russell on the floor together for any significant amount of time.
Edwards has grabbed ahold firm of the spotlight while Russell and Malik Beasley have been out. He has the potential to be a 1a, 1b with KAT if he maxes out his potential.
It looks like Towns may have been misused by previous coaches. Finch is tapping into his strengths by building his offense around him, making sure Towns touches the ball as often as possible every night. The results have been great so far. KAT has even elevated his defensive play at the rim, with Finch noting they are pushing him out more when defending the pick-and-roll.
Who are the Wolves going to trade for that’s better than Towns? The answer is nobody. The reality of the situation lies within the organization. This isn’t a KAT issue; it’s long been a Timberwolves problem.
In some sense, I get where Perk is coming from. Edwards has been so good and dynamic. He looks like a future superstar in the league. But it’s just careless on his end to say Minnesota can trade everyone but him. Towns may be one of the more under-appreciated players currently in the league. If you put him on a contender, he’s in the headlines multiple times a week.
I said last week that the Wolves would be silly to trade DLo at the deadline, and that largely had to do with KAT. Trading one of the dudes he’s close with before they ever get a chance to play together could upset Towns, and he may start forcing his way out. Everyone knows how important Towns is to Minnesota’s future for years to come. It’s annoying to see some people in the national media not notice what KAT brings to this franchise and how crucial he is to their long-term success.
Trading Towns would set this franchise back even further. I’m not suggesting the Wolves are entertaining it. The idea itself is just floated out on social media more than it should be.
There aren’t too many 7-foot centers in the association who can pick-and-pop in the snap of a finger and launch a three in rhythm with the consistency and effectiveness that Towns does. He fits this new era of the NBA perfectly when it comes to his offensive strengths.
As long as he wants to stay in Minnesota, Towns should have the red carpet rolled out for him, and the Wolves should continue to work their fingers to the bone to build around him and Edwards. He’s every bit a part of the future as Edwards is. Just because the shiny new toy is a highlight reel waiting to happen doesn’t mean the front office should nudge the other star out of the way.
