No matter the outcome of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics will be looking to further improve their team to compete for a championship. Armed with limited cap space and only a late first-round pick (#27), the Celtics are more likely to look to the trade market for upgrades. Luckily for Boston, a tantalizing opportunity may be available in the form of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns.
To recap, Towns is a former No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky with three years of NBA experience. He has played 82 games while averaging a double-double all three years, earning his first All-Star nod this past season. Towns is an effective center in the modern NBA, which demands that big men be more mobile and versatile than they were 10 to 20 years ago. He can score, rebound, and shoot the 3 (42% in 2017-18). At age 22, Towns is an elite young player who can be a potential franchise building block. Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, he is reportedly unhappy being the third option behind Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins, thus opening the door for a possible trade. An added motivation for Minnesota is that Towns is eligible for an expensive, long-term extension that they may be reluctant to shoulder with expensive commitment to other stars Jimmy Butler and Andrew Wiggins.
A player of Towns’ caliber would be a fit on any team, but he would be a particularly good fit for the Celtics, which lack a true quality center. All-Star veteran Al Horford is an excellent player, but he is really more of a power forward than a true center, so acquiring Towns could allow Big Al to play his natural position. Furthermore, Horford is 32, so Towns could also play well alongside him now while easing the strain of playing against physical, athletic big men as Horford ages. In addition to reinforcing the Celtics frontcourt, there is reason to believe that Towns could actually be better in Boston. Towns is still very much a developing player at age 22, and being part of a more talented Boston squad under the masterful guidance of Brad Stevens could improve his game. Towns could be another highly talented young piece that fills Boston’s need for a true big man in the frontcourt.
Though I see Karl-Anthony Towns as a good fit for the Celtics, there are few question marks that would have to be answered before Danny Ainge committed to working his trade magic. First, the Celtics would have to be willing to offer to a large, long-term contract for Towns. Second, Towns would mean one of Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum would have to go to the bench, as Towns would immediately slot into the starting five alongside Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, and one of Brown/Tatum. Third, the Celtics would have to be assured that Towns would fit and not become unhappy as he did in Minnesota.
If those criteria are met (which is a big if), what would the Celtics have to give up to get him? Luckily for Boston, a team that doesn’t have a lot of extraneous contracts to match salaries with, Towns is still on a rookie deal, so the C’s would only have to pay him $7.8 million next year, making salary matching easy. The Timberwolves’ first request would almost certainly be for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, but given their performance and that neither was part of the Kyrie Irving deal last year, Boston probably isn’t willing to part with either. So, is a trade still possible? I think so. A deal could be centered around “Scary” Terry Rozier (one year left on a rookie deal until he becomes an RFA) and the Sacramento Kings’ 2019 first-round draft pick. This combination of a promising young player (Rozier), the draft pick, and another player to make up the $3M difference between Rozier’s and Towns’ contracts (Aron Baynes could slot in here) could be enough to tempt the Timberwolves. Another player or draft pick (maybe this year’s first?) might also be necessary to complete the package.
A lot of questions remain on Towns’ availability and the price to obtain him. The Timberwolves are a promising team with a talented roster top to bottom that was on track for a top four seed in the Western Conference before Jimmy Butler got hurt. It’s possible that the T-Wolves’ brass and KAT could repair their relationship, but if not, look for the Celtics to make an inquiry to see if they can make a scary team that much better.
Comments