Karl-Anthony Towns Breaks Silence on Rampant Trade Rumors as Mavs End Timberwolves’ Dream Playoff Run

Following the heartbreaking exit, Karl-Anthony Towns opened up about his uncertain future. After spending nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he reached his first-ever Conference Finals this season. While it seemed like the Wolves would dominate the playoff, the Dallas Mavericks kicked them out with a 4-1 series win. After the series, the spotlight fell on Towns as he will have an uncertain few months in the off-season.

During the post-game press conference, a reporter asked Towns about the brewing trade rumors about him. The big man said, “I don’t know. I’m confident that I want to be here with my brothers… I’m still playing, nothing’s ever changed from my side. I love the city… and I love what it has given me in my life. It’s been only 20 minutes… I have a lot to think about. My thoughts have never changed since Day 1 about this organization.” 

Karl-Anthony Towns and his uncertainty with the Wolves have threatened him throughout the 2023-24 season. The 7 ‘1 big man recently signed a four-year deal worth $221 million, exercising the max contract option. At the same time, the team also offered a whopping $245 million worth a 5-year contract for Anthony Edwards. With two players above the average salary of $50 million annually, the Wolves have put themselves in a tough spot.

Currently, the Wolves have only 10 players on their contract, and even if they complete the remaining squad at the base price, the total payroll will come up to $193 million. Notably, they also have Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris in their free agencies, heading into the off-season. These restrictions will only hamper the team’s progress with an expansive luxury tax, going up to approximately $70 million.

On the other hand, Towns has struggled with inconsistencies throughout his career. Notably, this season, even though he came alive in the semi-final series to qualify for the Conference Finals, he posted a poor 35.8% shooting percentage against the Mavs.

Will Karl-Anthony Towns continue with the Wolves?

Apart from the two factors that could hamper Towns’ stay with the Wolves, there’s another big factor. Currently, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore have tangled up in a legal battle to get ownership of the team. But, unfortunately, the duo have proposed a budget of $171 million for the annual payroll and $1 million as luxury tax, as per CBS Sports.

If at all Alex and Lore take over the Wolves’ ownership, it’s definitely curtains for the big man. On the other hand, he also has untold competition with the Wolves’ bench star Naz Reid. The 2024 Sixth Man of the Year Award winner already has the fans behind him to take over the starting line-up. As he offers the same skill set, fans have come up with the theory to trade away the big man and push Reid into the starting lineup to support Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.

However, this analogy may also go down the drain considering the French man’s failure in the playoffs. The critics ripped apart the 4x NBA Champion for his failure against the Denver Nuggets. In that case, Towns might actually replace Gobert in the center position and Reid could still make it to the starting lineup.

Will the Wolves let go of the big man? Let us know in the comments below.

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