Pump. The. Brakes. On. The. KAT. Trade. Stuff.
That’s the message delivered Tuesday by longtime Minnesota Timberwolves insider Jon Krawczynski, who said on his podcast that all indications he’s received point to the Timberwolves running it back in 2023-24 with the same core featuring Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
“I do believe that there are plenty of executives out around the league that are anticipating that Karl-Anthony Towns could become available. There’s many reasons for that,” Krawczynski began.
“What I can say, at this point, from every conversation that I’ve had, is I just don’t see it as a likelihood at this point. Things could change. Offers could be made that just blow the Timberwolves out of the water or make them reconsider things. But all of the conversations, all of the messaging from Tim Connelly, from Chris Finch, from Glen Taylor, from everyone within the organization, and from Karl-Anthony Towns himself, to this point, has been run it back.
“Let’s see what the Timberwolves can do next season when you have a healthy Towns and a healthy Gobert, presumably. When you have a lot more familiarity with each other, a lot more chemistry built up. There is a desire within the organization to try to see this through.”
Last week, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report cited “rival executives” who believe Towns could be traded within the next few weeks. Not so fast, says Krawczynski.
“That’s why I keep looking at the breathless way that this is being covered and just want to kind of pump the brakes a little bit. Until I hear anything internally from either the Timberwolves or the Karl-Anthony Towns camp that there is a feeling that it’s time to move on, I’m going to be of the mind that it’s far more likely that they run it back with Towns, Edwards, Gobert, McDaniels than they make some sort of sea change trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns,” he said.
“Things can change. As we get closer to the draft there will be more significant conversations going on, but as of right now, if you’re a fan out there that is believing this is a fait accompli, I don’t see that as being the case at all.”
Keeping Towns doesn’t come without a price, namely Minnesota’s chances of re-signing backup big man Naz Reid to an extension. Reid is a free agent and will likely receive starter-level interest elsewhere, so the odds of him returning to sit behind Towns and Gobert seem slim.
That’s the head-scratching part of the equation because Connelly has been outspoken about his desire to bring Reid back, but failing to trade him before last season’s trade deadline means Minnesota now stands the risk of losing him for nothing.
Related: Naz Reid is why the Timberwolves have to trade KAT
