Minnesota Timberwolves: Ranking the trade chips heading into 2020 NBA offseason

Minnesota Timberwolves trade chip No. 1: Karl-Anthony Towns

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ best player could be their most realistic trade chip of the bunch.

Back in January, The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss reported that Karl-Anthony Towns was not pleased with the team’s direction. That came before the Russell trade, of course, so the situation could have changed. If Towns suddenly wants out or if the Timberwolves decide to strip the roster, this becomes a kingpin trade piece.

Towns will be 25 years old before next season and is still one of the NBA’s best young players. Statistically, he has the numbers, but without the regular season success to back it up. The closest happened when Jimmy Butler was around. Instead, the Timberwolves have taken steps back, shuffled most of the roster and are back to adding more draft picks.

Hypothetically, it makes sense for the Timberwolves to keep Towns and run it back for a full year with Russell and the No. 1 pick. These two barely shared the floor after the blockbuster trade, so the organization has every reason to try a longer run.

If it doesn’t work, though, it will be the fifth empty season in six tries for Towns. He will enter the prime of his career without much resembling a winning situation, so could a trade be forced? If so, there is a $31.61 million salary coming his way in 2021-22, which is expensive and difficult to match but reasonable for someone of his talents.

Towns may not be a trade piece this offseason, but 2021 could be the make-or-break time period for his future with the team.