Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns established another impressive performance in the 2018-19 NBA season which helped him earn his second NBA All-Star selection. In 77 games he played, Towns averaged 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks on 51.8 percent shooting from the field and 40.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Unfortunately, despite posting incredible numbers almost every night, Towns was still unable to carry the Timberwolves to the playoffs as they only finished as the No. 11 seed in the deep Western Conference with a 36-46 record.
If the Timberwolves are serious about changing the narrative in the 2019-20 NBA season, they should strongly consider surrounding the face of the franchise, Karl-Anthony Towns, with quality players next summer. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report , the Timberwolves should prioritize acquiring another player who could tremendously boost their performance on the offensive end of the floor.
“The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the clock. Karl-Anthony Towns’ five-year supermax kicks in next season, and the Wolves shouldn’t waste any time trying to construct a contender around their centerpiece. He’s an almost impossible cover as a 7-footer with three-point range, an abundance of low-post maneuvers and scoring touch in between. But despite his nightly contributions of 24.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 offensive rebounds and 1.8 triples, Minnesota finished just 13th in offensive efficiency. That screams to this club’s lack of shot-creators around him.”
As Buckley suggested, the Timberwolves could target Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. When Jimmy Butler demanded a trade in November, the Timberwolves reportedly explored the possibility of swapping him with Beal or Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans. Beal is in no doubt the better trade target for the Timberwolves since he fits well with the timeline of Towns.
Keep voting for @RealDealBeal23 ! #BradleyBeal | #NBACommunityAssist pic.twitter.com/ZZd8nHZFMU
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) May 1, 2019
The Timberwolves may have failed to acquire Bradley Beal during the 2018-19 NBA season, but they could resume their pursuit of the All-Star shooting guard in the summer of 2019. In a proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report , the Timberwolves will be sending Jeff Teague, Dario Saric, Keita Bates-Diop, and a 2019 first-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal. The deal will not only be beneficial for the Timberwolves but also for the Wizards, especially if they decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild.
Aside from unloading Bradley Beal’s massive contract, the Wizards will also have two young and talented players, Dario Saric and Keita Bates-Diop, who could be part of the rebuilding process. After the Timberwolves finished as one of the worst teams in the league, their 2019 first-round pick could be as high as a top-4 pick, giving the Wizards another interesting piece to add to their young core.
