NBA Trades: 10 win-now deals Portland can make to give Dame a co-star

Co-star #6: Karl-Anthony Towns

Admittedly, Minnesota might be a year or two away from trading Karl-Anthony Towns, if they ever will. However, despite some questionable decision-making, it seems clear that the future of the team is Anthony Edwards, who had a terrific playoff showing.

With the terrible Rudy Gobert trade potentially handcuffing Minnesota going forward, especially financially, they could be amenable to taking offers on Towns. Any offer would likely need to include a stack of picks as well as young talent, like a Portland offer of Sharpe, Simons, and three first-round picks.

Receiving an offer that includes three firsts is rare and could be made better if Portland’s pick moves up into the top four in this year’s draft. Edwards is six years younger than Towns, meaning that when Edwards is entering his prime, Towns could be declining. Thus, the opportunity to pair Edwards with a top young prospect closer to his age might be intriguing to Minnesota. Would the draft rights to Scoot Henderson be enough to make this hypothetical a reality? Possibly.

For Portland, Towns would give Lillard another star to play with. In fact, they could form a terrific pick-and-pop pairing, ala Lilard, and former Blazers all-star LaMarcus Aldridge, with Towns being able to knock down threes. The Blazers haven’t had a top-tier offensive big man since Aldridge, and Towns would give the team a dramatically different look compared to recent years when their two best players were guards.

Landing him would also be huge for their future since it would decrease the risk of Lillard asking for a trade and increase the chances that he finishes his career in Portland. Towns would also give the team someone to build around post-Lillard. A Towns trade probably isn’t imminent, but if he becomes available, the Blazers could put together a strong offer, especially with the third overall pick.