Despite losing Klay Thompson for the entire 2020-21 season, the Golden State Warriors are very much in the thick of things in the Western Conference, where they currently ranked seventh with an 8-7 record. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, have continued to struggle despite the presence of superstar center Karl-Anthony Towns , and have only won three out of their 13 games. Both teams, however, could help address each others’ weaknesses by swinging a deal ahead of the March 25 deadline, according to a newly published list of trade ideas.
As explained on Friday by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes, Towns could be a “colossal upgrade” over highly-touted rookie James Wiseman at center, and could also be someone who could help the team improve its chances of winning a championship just one year after finishing with the NBA’s worst record. However, with Thompson sitting out for a second straight campaign, Hughes suggested that the hypothetical move would most likely pay off in 2021-22.
The proposed transaction would involve Towns heading to the Warriors in exchange for Wiseman, forwards Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Paschall, the 2021 first-rounder they originally acquired from Minnesota, and a top-three protected first-round selection in the 2026 draft. According to the Bleacher Report writer, the deal could benefit Golden State by giving them a starting lineup that doesn’t have any weaknesses.
“Just imagine Stephen Curry, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Towns on the floor together. There are no holes in that lineup. It’s loaded with shooting, playmaking, perimeter defense and solid switchability—if Towns rediscovers the defensive verve he showed earlier in his career. The Curry-Towns pairing alone would cement Golden State as the most unsolvable offense in the league.”
Although he proved to be extremely durable in his first four NBA seasons, Towns has missed significant time due to injuries and illness since the 2019-20 season, according to his Basketball-Reference page. As a result of health and safety protocols, the 25-year-old former Kentucky Wildcats star has played in only four games this season, averaging 22 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.8 blocks while shooting 46 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range.
Meanwhile, Hughes suggested that Wiseman could turn out to be a much more promising defensive prospect than Towns, thus making him a key piece in the Timberwolves’ rebuilding efforts in the event the above scenario becomes a reality. Likewise, he wrote that Oubre could also add some much-needed defensive ability as a wing player and could turn out to be a “potential keeper” if Minnesota re-signs him once he becomes a free agent next summer. Lastly, Paschall was described as a player who could, at the very least, develop into a small-ball center off the bench.
