This trade sends Karl-Anthony Towns to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Dallas Mavericks are a team that managed to have a pretty good off-season this year. However, most people would agree that they are not true contenders yet, as they are still missing another star next to their duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving right now.
Center Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be a good potential trade option for the Dallas Mavericks. He is an elite offensive big man, and his playstyle should be complementary to both of their stars. Here is the potential trade package.
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Christian Wood, Josh Green, Olivier-Maxence Porosper, 2027 First-Round Pick
This trade package would give the Minnesota Timberwolves a mix of players that they can use to compete immediately, and prospects that they can develop to be more competitive in the future. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks would get the third star-level player that they need to win at the highest level. Here is why this trade makes sense for both teams.
The Dallas Mavericks Get An Elite Center And No. 3 Option
When he is healthy, there is no doubt that Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best big men in the league. He is a sharpshooting 3PT center, who can also dominate inside and in the midrange if need be. Towns is also a quality rebounder, and though he has defensive issues, perhaps playing under Jason Kidd will put him in the best positions to succeed on that end of the floor. This past season, Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. It is clear that Towns’ s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁set is the perfect fit with two ball-dominant stars in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Though Karl-Anthony Towns has not had much success as a No. 2 option, perhaps that could change with him being a No. 3 option. In this scenario, Towns wouldn’t have the pressure to deliver as an offensive engine on a night-to-night basis on the offensive end with the Mavericks. Instead, he would be able to focus on spacing the floor, taking good shots, rebounding, and passing. That is a much better role for him when it comes to a championship context.
This trade would have the Dallas Mavericks give up a number of young players that are currently on the roster. The Minnesota Timberwolves will likely want to find an offer with a lot of prospects and draft compensation so that they can do the best possible job of building around Anthony Edwards. This deal would get them that, and some of the young prospects can also be rerouted if the team doesn’t think they are a fit with the franchise. Christian Wood is tough to lose, but the Mavericks would be able to use him in a sign-and-trade, rather than lose him for nothing.
Overall, adding Karl-Anthony Towns would be a luxury for the Dallas Mavericks, as his talent is immense, and he is a s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed player that has shown the ability to have superstar-level stretches. Adding him would give them the size and the offense to compete with teams like the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets, Making a trade for Towns should be a no-brainer for the franchise.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Get A Solid Trade Package For A Star
In any Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to recoup the assets they gave up to the Utah Jazz for Rudy Gobert. While that is almost impossible given how much the team overpaid in that trade, they can still get a decent amount from the Dallas Mavericks in a trade.
Offensive big man Christian Wood can give the Dallas Mavericks some of what they got from Karl-Anthony Towns. Wood is athletic, can score from the 3PT range, and is also a decent rebounder. This past season, Christian Wood averaged 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Mavericks. Though he does have defensive issues, it is clear that getting him in a sign-and-trade would be a solid move for the Timberwolves, especially since he would be a good positional fit.
The three young players that the Minnesota Timberwolves would get in this scenario are Josh Green, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Dereck Lively. Josh Green can contribute immediately as a 3 and D wing player, and so can Olivier-Mmaxence Prosper as he is a decent defensive forward. Dereck Lively is a decent rim protector, and though he is a raw player offensively, he can definitely thrive in limited minutes and learn from Rudy Gobert.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is in this deal for salary-matching purposes, and though he isn’t necessarily a top-tier role player, he can still be serviceable as a spark plug coming off the bench.
This trade would essentially give the Minnesota Timberwolves a solid trade package for one of their stars. Their two big experiment has clearly not worked out thus far, and perhaps now is the best time to trade Towns.
This Could Be A Solid Trade For Both Franchises
Karl-Anthony Towns is still a great center at this stage of his career, but it is fair to say that he can’t be the No. 1 or the No. 2 option on a championship team. On the Dallas Mavericks, he’d play a role that is more suited to his ability, and adding him could take the Mavericks over the top.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves would be able to get back some assets to better build around Anthony Edwards. The young players in this deal are good enough to provide some immediate contributions as well, which means the Timberwolves wouldn’t immediately become a poor overall team.
It remains to be seen if the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks end up doing this deal. This would definitely be an interesting deal for both sides, and we’ll see what ends up happening in the future.