“All those things will be examined, but I think at the moment our focus is to build a team that’s in position to compete for a championship.” Minnesota Timberwolves minority owner Alex Rodriguez said in 2022 when asked if he would be willing to go over the luxury tax. Two years later, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns took the Timberwolves to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. However, keeping this roster intact now would be costly in terms of salaries and fines. With KAT too valuable to trade, the team could sacrifice other players to manage finances.

In a recent segment of NBA Front Office, Keith Smith and Trevor Lane talked about the Timberwolves’ situation going into the 2025-26 season. Looking at the fact that the salaries of the players are only going to increase by next year, Smith predicted that “One of those three centers, Towns, Gobert, Reid won’t be on this team anymore. One of the three will be gone….it’s crazy to have that much invested in one position.”

With Naz Reid’s annual pay set to potentially increase to $15 million, and Karl-Anthony Towns set to make $53.1 million pay for the 2025-26 season, there is some truth in Smith’s remarks. Rudy Gobert may choose to take a reduction on his $46.6 million extension. However, it may not be enough. Cutting ties with a center may be the only way to free up funds.

“Minnesota has the second-largest payroll in the NBA, (right) behind the Suns. That’s how expensive they are,” Smith said. “They have more money on the books than the Celtics.” He asked: “Do they have the ability to go make another move and fill it (the roster)? Not only do they have the assets, can they go do it but just will they get to go-ahead to do anything like that?”

The Minnesota Timberwolves are way over the 2024-25 luxury tax limits, with a $241.8 million salary cap. This exceeds the $188.9 million second apron under the new CBA, triggering fines and loss of trade flexibility. Despite a proposal by minority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore to reduce the payroll to $171 million, majority owner Glen Taylor rejected it. Taylor feared such a move would compromise the team’s championship chances.

Currently, the Timberwolves own five centers, two of whom command the highest salaries for the upcoming season. As a result, they are the most vulnerable group for trade at the moment.

Karl-Anthony Towns or Rudy Gobert: The Minnesota Timberwolves are likely to trade which star?

Trading either Towns ($49.2 million) or Rudy Gobert ($43.8 million) would help the Timberwolves in alleviating their financial strain. However, given how valuable both centers are, it’s a scenario that the franchise is being careful about.

The Timberwolves reportedly faced criticism for acquiring the French player from the Utah Jazz in 2022. However, Gobert’s arrival brought a change in the overall roster. By January 2024, the Timberwolves held the second-best win record, the best in the Western Conference, along with a solid defensive rating (108). With an individual defensive rating of 103.7 and an average score of 13.1 points per game, Gobert’s impact has been stellar. Even Bucks head coach Doc Rivers marveled at this display. He stated: “I don’t think anyone’s laughing at that trade anymore.”

While Gobert seemed untouchable, Towns was already being put up as a potential trade option. According to CP “The Fanchise”, the New York Knicks had a genuine interest in bringing KAT to their fold. Moreover, given that Julius Randle still had no extension deal only added to the intrigue. The Knicks star has no extension as of September 13, leaving all options open.

However, officials already made statements that remove any talks of a trade. Back in late August, Timberwolves president Tim Connelly went on to state “We’d like Rudy to be here for a long time. We love his agent, he’s been a friend for a long time and is one of the best guys in the league. And certainly our goal with most of these guys is to keep them here as long as they want to be here.” As for Karl-Anthony Towns, ESPN reporter Zach Lowe stated that sources believed “the Wolves hope to hang onto Karl-Anthony Towns despite tax concerns.” The cost of not breaking up the team will be, without a doubt, a big one. Therefore, the Timberwolves will have to look beyond the two centers to improve their financial dilemma.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.