Much has been made in NBA circles in the past week about ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst feeding NBA trade rumors that Karl Anthony Towns is unhappy with the Timberwolves. Windhorst said on ESPN TV that NBA teams are “definitely sniffing around as if maybe there’s something here.”
Obviously the Timberwolves would ask for the moon when it comes to landing Towns. Maybe “the moon” is the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
The Suns have great potential to shake things up this summer, given that they own draft picks No. 1, No. 16, No. 31 and No. 59. Suns GM Ryan McDonough has already flat-out said that a trade prior to or on draft night is likely and that they won’t keep all of their picks. The top pick is the least likely to go in a trade, but McDonough is leaving his options open.
“It’s very unlikely that we trade [the pick],” McDonough said. “The only scenario in which I could envision us trading the pick is if we traded it for an established, young star – probably on a multi-year contract or with multiple years of control.”
Towns will be a restricted free agent next summer, but you’ve gotta believe that McDonough and the Suns would take that risk. It’s not every day that a potential top three player in the NBA is available.
Trading a top draft pick and more for an established star like Towns is in McDonough’s DNA as he was Danny Ainge’s right hand man in Boston when the Celtics traded for another Timberwolves star in Kevin Garnett.
The Suns haven’t been a contender in a decade, and the pressure is on McDonough to succeed now. Watching a DeAndre Ayton or a Luka Doncic grow is the conservative option, but if Towns is indeed available – McDonough is certainly the type to strike.
Throwing water on the Towns trade rumors, however, was ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this week – who said the following on Ryen Russillo’s podcast.
“I think their owner would trade management or the coach before he would trade Karl-Anthony Towns,” Wojnarowski said. “I don’t think they would allow that. I just don’t believe they’d allow that kind of decision.”
