Karl-Anthony Towns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Timberwolves Notes: Towns, Gobert, Christon

June 14th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns addressed trade speculation during an appearance on a podcast with former teammate Patrick Beverley.

“Future-wise, I see everyone is trying to sell my house but me,” Towns joked, which Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic explained is a reference to an erroneous report that Towns put his home on the market (Twitter link).

“I’m gonna keep it simple like this,” Towns added. “The rumors are as true or as false as Minnesota makes them to be.”

Trade rumors regarding Towns stem from his super-max extension, which will begin in the 2024/25 season. The deal has an estimated value of $224MM over four years and will place a financial strain on a team that has already committed big money to Rudy Gobert over the next three seasons and will likely be giving a hefty extension to Anthony Edwards this summer.

A recent story by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report states that many rival executives believe Minnesota will trade Towns before the extension kicks in, with some speculating that the team will “jump at an opportunity” if one arises in the next few weeks.

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

Towns also told Beverley that when he retires, “There’s gonna be people who are gonna say that I changed the game,” referring to his unique outside shooting ability for a big man. That prompted a Twitter response from Warriors forward Draymond Green, who wrote, “Aye @patbev21, when people come on yo show they change the game!!l?!? I’m looking forward to it man.”
Gobert sent out a tweet congratulating the Nuggets after they wrapped up their first championship Monday night, but some people are interpreting it as a slight to the Jazz, per Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. “Happy for the Nuggets, beautiful Team basketball all year around,” Gobert wrote. “Failed over and over in the previous years, didn’t quit on their guys. And Nikola Jokic will finally get the respect he deserves!” Utah traded away Gobert and Donovan Mitchell last summer after several years of its own playoff frustration.
Former Thunder player Semaj Christon has parted ways with his European team and will join Minnesota for an upcoming free agent mini-camp, according to Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. The 30-year-old point guard averaged 15.7 PPG this season with Derthona Basket in Italy. He played 64 games for Oklahoma City during the 2016/17 season.

Northwest Notes: Towns, K. Anderson, Jazz, Thunder

June 12th, 2023 at 1:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves don’t appear to be making an effort to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North said in his latest podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). There has been speculation that Minnesota might be open to moving Towns because of the financial issues his contract will eventually cause, but Wolfson hears that the market has been quiet so far.

“I’m not ruling it out,” Wolfson said. “But what I can tell you in real time is I’ve checked with two teams’ front office executives very high up, two teams that make logical sense if the Wolves were to trade Karl-Anthony Towns. If they let the league know, ‘Hey, we’re interested in trading Karl-Anthony Towns’, these two teams undoubtedly would at least inquire… Well, these two executives told me, ‘So far, crickets.’ They have not had any trade dialogue with the Wolves.”

Towns’ four-year super-max extension will take effect in 2024/25, resulting in an estimated $50MM salary for that season and then escalating to a $62MM player option for 2027/28. A calf injury limited the three-time All-Star to 29 games last season, and he often appeared to be an awkward fit alongside center Rudy Gobert.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch told Wolfson that Kyle Anderson is working out again after undergoing eye surgery following the playoffs (Twitter link). Anderson was forced to miss Game 5 of the series against Denver after inadvertently being struck in the face by teammate Anthony Edwards as they tried to block a dunk.
The Jazz are reportedly adding two assistant coaches to Will Hardy‘s staff. Mike Williams, who was head coach of the Wizards‘ G League affiliate this season, has accepted a job with Utah, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Chad Forcier, who coached under Mike Budenholzer with the Bucks, is also expected to join the Jazz, Marc Stein states in a Substack column.
Scheduling a workout with Villanova’s Cam Whitmore shows the Jazz are willing to consider moving up in the draft, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Whitmore is viewed as a potential top-five selection who’s expected to be off the board by the time Utah picks at No. 9. Todd examines the many options the Jazz might have with all of their three first-round selections.
With Chet Holmgren expected to be the Thunder‘s starting center next season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman looks at five potential backups available in the draft, either at No. 12 or in the second round.

Knicks Notes: Randle, Barrett, Hart, Quickley, D. Rose

May 25th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will listen to trade offers this summer for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, but they won’t be eager to move either player unless they get a major star in return, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News says in a discussion of the team’s offseason plans with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Randle is coming off an All-NBA regular season, but he was disappointing in the playoffs for the second time in three years, although an ankle injury contributed to that. Scotto doesn’t believe other teams value him as highly as New York’s front office does, but Bondy questions whether Randle is an effective leader for the Knicks now that they’ve seemingly established themselves as a consistent playoff team. Begley notes that Randle has a personal connection with senior executive William Wesley and team president Leon Rose and states that management won’t try to deal him just because of a disappointing postseason.

Begley points out that some members of the front office were willing to send Barrett to Utah in last summer’s negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, so he’s likely to be made available again if the right deal comes along. Bondy believes any team talking about trading a star player to the Knicks would have to decide whether it would prefer Randle or Barrett in return.

There’s more on the Knicks from that conversation:

Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns have been mentioned as potential trade targets, but the three writers are skeptical that either deal will happen this summer. Scotto notes that Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey doesn’t like to trade star players unless he’s getting another one in return and suggests that the Heat look like a better option if Philadelphia ever decides to part with Embiid. Bondy points out that the Towns rumors have been around for a long time, and while he heard two years ago that coach Tom Thibodeau wouldn’t be opposed to a reunion with the Timberwolves big man, things might have changed since then.
Thibodeau’s affection for free agent Josh Hart and his CAA connections could help push his next contract into the range of $18MM per year, Scotto adds. He cites a consensus among attendees at last week’s draft combine that Hart plans to re-sign with New York.
Immanuel Quickley raised his value with a season that saw him finish second in the Sixth Man of the Year balloting, and his extension could be worth $80MM to possibly $100MM over four years, according to Scotto. Bondy cautions that the Knicks will have to be careful about how much they pay Quickley with big-money deals for Jalen Brunson, Randle, Barrett and likely Hart already in place.
The Bulls seem like a natural destination for Derrick Rose, whose $15.6MM team option for next season is unlikely to be picked up, Scotto states. Begley also mentions the Bucks, who were rumored to have interest in Rose during the season.

Lowe’s Latest: Player Movement, Harden, Ayton, Paul

May 16th, 2023 at 12:08pm CST by Luke Adams

There could be a significant amount of star player movement in the NBA within the next year, Zach Lowe of ESPN said in the latest episode of his Lowe Post podcast (YouTube link). Lowe pointed to a number of volatile situations around the league and the potential impact of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement as reasons why we could see more notable trades and free agency moves than usual in the not-too-distant future.

“I think the next year in the NBA could be an unbelievable period of superstar and star player movement because you’ve just got a lot of sort of roiling situations,” Lowe explained (hat tip to RealGM). “You have one year left before the really harsh trade rules kick into place, after the 2023/24 season, where teams over the second apron, like the Clippers for instance, cannot even aggregate salaries. They can’t add up money to bring in a big money player. That’s starting after next season.

“I think we could see a ton of movement in the offseason and up to the (trade) deadline. And a ton of big names moving. That’s not to say (Joel) Embiid, but I think this going to be a hot and heavy offseason and people should buckle up.”

Lowe’s prediction followed a conversation about Embiid’s future with the Sixers. Lowe stressed that the 2023 MVP has always been loyal to Philadelphia and expressed skepticism that Embiid would ask for a trade anytime soon, but noted that teams around the NBA have an eye on that situation following another disappointing playoff exit.

Pointing to the Knicks, in particular, Lowe said he’d be surprised if New York gave up significant assets for a player like Damian Lillard or Karl-Anthony Towns, arguing that clubs in the Knicks’ position would be better off waiting to see if a higher-level star like Embiid eventually becomes available.

Here’s more from Lowe’s most recent podcast, which featured fellow ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon:

James Harden‘s future in Philadelphia is much less certain than Embiid’s. During a discussion about the future of the Sixers guard, both Lowe and MacMahon stated that the Rockets “think he’s coming.” Harden can become a free agent this summer by declining his player option for 2023/24, and rumors about a return to Houston continue to percolate.
Monty Williams‘ ouster in Phoenix doesn’t necessarily mean the Suns will be more inclined to hang onto center Deandre Ayton, who had an up-and-down relationship with Williams. Lowe says the Ayton situation has “spun totally out of control,” adding that many people within the organization are “tired” of the Suns’ center. MacMahon agrees that the two sides needs to move on and says he’s “pretty confident” Ayton will be dealt this offseason.
While he makes it clear that he doesn’t have any inside info and isn’t explicitly reporting anything, Lowe views the Clippers as a logical trade partner for the Suns if they want to move Chris Paul. As Lowe explains, Los Angeles has been seeking an answer at point guard throughout the Paul George/Kawhi Leonard era and Phoenix would like to add reliable depth, which the Clippers could provide.

Western Notes: Landale, Grizzlies, Towns, Gobert

May 12th, 2023 at 7:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Backup center Jock Landale, who will be a restricted free agent if Phoenix gives him a qualifying offer, hopes to remain with the Suns long term.

“This is a city and a fanbase and an organization I’d love to be a part of for the rest of my career if I could,” Landale said (Twitter video link via PHNX Suns).

The 27-year-old Australian had relatively modest numbers in the regular season, averaging 6.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG in 69 games (14.2 MPG).

However, after making just one brief appearance in Phoenix’s five-game series against the Clippers, Landale made his mark against Denver, as Phoenix was plus-34 over his 106 minutes in the series, with a positive plus/minus in five of his six games despite the club losing four of those contests and ultimately getting eliminated.

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Tyus Jones, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke, Ziaire Williams, David Roddy and Jake LaRavia are among the players who could be on the move if the Grizzlies decide to go after a major upgrade at small forward, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who notes that general manager Zach Kleiman said the team plans to be aggressive in looking for roster reinforcements.
In another story for The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Cole lists five small forwards the Grizzlies could target in free agency with their mid-level exception. Those five players are Caris LeVert, Kelly Oubre, Jae Crowder, Harrison Barnes and Bruce Brown.
On the Podcast P podcast with Paul George, Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns said he was taken aback by last summer’s Rudy Gobert trade. “It was definitely something I wasn’t ready for,” Towns said, per Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. “I remember being in London and getting that call. I didn’t actually have no idea that was happening. I was told by social media like everybody else, so that was something.” Towns added that he had already been preparing as though he was going to be playing center, so moving to power forward was “definitely an adjustment.”

Northwest Notes: Jackson, Watson, Green, Towns, Sexton

May 9th, 2023 at 7:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nuggets coach Michael Malone strongly hinted at possible rotation changes for Game 5 against the Suns on Tuesday night. Malone mentioned that he might use Reggie Jackson as an extra ball-handler and Peyton Watson as a defender, Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports tweets. Blackburn notes that the Nuggets were -37 when the starters weren’t on the floor together over the past two games.

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Veteran forward Jeff Green has a simpler solution for how the Nuggets can win the series, which is currently tied at 2-2. “It’s about pride. It’s about effort,” Green told Harrison Wind of the TheDnvr.com. “And it’s about wanting to take on the challenge.” Denver has allowed 43 fast break points in the last two games.
Dealing Karl-Anthony Towns, if the Timberwolves choose to go that path, could be made easier if the Knicks get eliminated by the Heat, Michael Rand of The Star Tribune opines. New York seems like a logical landing spot and rumors are already flying about the Knicks having interest in the Timberwolves big man. Towns will make $36MM next season and the Knicks have a combination of starters with suitable salaries (such as Julius Randle and RJ Barrett) and extra draft picks that could entice the Minnesota front office.
Coming back from a serious knee injury, Collin Sexton saw his first season with the Jazz marred by hamstring strains. However, he showed improvement in his overall game compared to his time in Cleveland, particularly with his passing and decision-making, according to Sarah Todd of the Deseret News. Sexton shot a career-high 50.6% from the field and made 39.3% of his 3-point attempts. He averaged 14.3 points in 23.9 minutes while appearing in 48 games. Sexton inked a four-year, $71MM contract last summer in a sign-and-trade transaction.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, KCP, Jazz, Messina, Towns

May 2nd, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While most NBA fans look forward to Tuesday evening’s announcement of the 2022/23 Most Valuable Player, Nuggets star and MVP finalist Nikola Jokic claims he’s not exactly waiting on that news with bated breath. As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes, Following a huge Game 2 on Monday (39 points, 16 rebounds), Jokic said that, weather permitting, he’d like to be “in the swimming pool” when the NBA reveals this season’s MVP.

“I don’t really think about it,” Jokic said. “Like zero interest.”

Jokic has certainly had the most impressive postseason of the three finalists, given that Joel Embiid has missed two of five Sixers games due to a knee injury and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Bucks were upset by the eighth-seeded Heat in round one.

Of course, MVP voting was completed before the playoffs began, but teammate Jamal Murray and head coach Michael Malone pointed to Jokic’s Game 2 performance as a perfect example of why he has won two MVP awards and deserves a third. According to Youngmisuk, Malone said on Monday that if Jokic doesn’t win this year’s award, he intends to tell the star center that he’s “he’s the MVP in my eyes.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s big night on Monday (41 minutes played, 4-of-4 on three-pointers) served as reminders of why the Nuggets wanted him so badly last summer and how instrumental he has been to the team’s success this season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). “KCP does everything for us,” Denver guard Bruce Brown said. “Me and him kind of in the same role. … He’s the only champion in here, so I learn as much as I can from him.”
The Jazz‘s coaching staff is said to be undergoing offseason changes, and former Spurs assistant Ettore Messina – who worked alongside Will Hardy in San Antonio from 2015-19 and is now a head coach in Italy – was recently identified by Sportando as a possible target. Asked by Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune about the rumor, Messina neither confirmed nor outright denied it. “Eric, I do not have much for you,” he told Walden in a text message. “I am enjoying what I’m doing with (Olimpia) Milano.”
Should the Timberwolves seriously consider the idea of trading Karl-Anthony Towns this offseason? Chris Hine of The Star Tribune explores that question in detail, discussing why it might make sense while also presenting the arguments against such a deal.

Knicks Notes: Towns, Randle, Grimes, Hart

April 28th, 2023 at 2:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks are expected to be aggressive in trying to add talent this summer and could be a leading contender if the Timberwolves decide to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy. A league source told Deveney that Towns would have interest in going to New York and speculated that it’s just a matter of time before the Knicks try to make it happen.

Deveney points out that Towns already has ties to the organization in team president Leon Rose, who is his former agent, and head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached Towns for two and a half seasons in Minnesota. The Wolves’ early playoff exit, combined with New York’s surge into the Eastern Conference semifinals, creates even more motivation for the move to happen, Deveney adds.

Towns has one more season before his four-year, $224MM super-max extension kicks in, which will place a tremendous strain on the Wolves’ finances. Trading him might be the best option for avoiding the strictest provisions of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“No matter the success this year, the Knicks are going to keep being aggressive,” an Eastern Conference executive told Deveney. “So you’d want to start with RJ Barrett there. But you can send (Obi) Toppin, you can send (Quentin) Grimes, (Miles) McBride. They do not want to trade (Immanuel) Quickley but if the target is Towns, maybe they would change that. You’d play Towns at the 5 if you were New York so they’d probably have Mitchell Robinson in the deal, and he could go to a third team. A lot of possibilities and Minnesota might be a better team by putting it all on (Anthony) Edwards and getting the right pieces from that mix.”

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No timetable has been set for a return by Julius Randle, who reinjured his left ankle in Wednesday’s game, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Thibodeau said Randle was limited in Friday’s practice to shooting, lifting weights and doing cardio work in the pool. He’s considered day-to-day ahead of the start of New York’s second-round series with Miami on Sunday afternoon.
Grimes, who missed the past two games with a right shoulder contusion, is optimistic that he’ll be ready for the series opener (video link from SNY.tv).
The Knicks and Heat have been through some legendary playoff battles, but Josh Hart said that won’t have any effect this year’s series (video link). “It was 23, 27 years ago,” Hart told reporters. “Most of our guys weren’t even born yet. For us, those are the war stories of the past. We’ve got our own path.”

Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Towns, Edwards, McDaniels, Free Agents

April 26th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves‘ experiment of playing two big men together has been questioned ever since Rudy Gobert was acquired from Utah last summer to team with Karl-Anthony Towns. Even though Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs in five games, coach Chris Finch‘s comments show that the organization is committed to making the pairing successful, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

“They’re both really incredibly good basketball players,” Finch said after Tuesday’s Game 5 loss. “With the skill level that KAT has, for sure, there’s no reason basketball-wise that it shouldn’t work. There’s a lot of things we can talk about about why the learning curve was so steep for it. But the most important thing is we have a big enough body of work, I think we can properly evaluate it. I still remain extremely confident we’re able to maximize those guys.”

Finch indicated that he’ll consider changes to the offense this summer, and Krawczynski notes that Towns and Gobert will have an opportunity to work together during the offseason. Towns had an illness at the start of training camp and missed 52 games during the season with a calf injury, so their acclimation process was interrupted.

Krawczynski observes that the Wolves took a step backward in rebounding despite having two natural centers in their starting lineup. He states that being outrebounded in last year’s playoffs prompted the deal for Gobert, but Minnesota fell to 27th in rebounding percentage this season after finishing 21st last year.

“It’s going to take a lot better habits from our perimeter players boxing out, to be quite honest with you,” Finch said of the rebounding issue. “It has to be a big point of emphasis.”

There’s more on the Timberwolves:

An extension for Anthony Edwards will be among the team’s offseason priorities, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link). The All-Star guard is eligible for a five-year deal worth a projected $207MM, but that could rise to $249MM if he makes an All-NBA team. Marks points out that a maximum-salary extension for Edwards would make Minnesota the only team with three max players when it kicks in during the 2024/25 season. The Wolves will also consider a rookie scale extension for forward Jaden McDaniels, who is considered a candidate to make an All-Defensive team, Marks adds.
Trade speculation surrounding Towns, whose four-year, $224MM super-max extension takes effect in 2024/25, could get much louder over the next year, per Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Towns will become trade-eligible in July, and Gozlan points out that he’s a logical trade option if the Wolves want to keep Edwards and McDaniels and there’s no market for Gobert.
The Timberwolves may find it too expensive to keep both Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell in free agency, Gozlan adds. He expects Reid to get offers for the full mid-level exception, which is projected to be $52.5MM over four years.

Western Notes: Lindsey, Udoka, Borrego, Westbrook, Holmgren, Blazers, Towns

April 17th, 2023 at 9:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks are in advanced discussions with former Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey to join the organization as a special assistant to GM Nico Harrison, Marc Stein of the Stein Line reports (via Twitter). Harrison has been seeking an experienced sounding-board voice to join the front office in a consultant’s role, dating to last offseason.

Following their failure to make the playoffs, the Mavericks have a pivotal offseason that includes trying to re-sign Kyrie Irving and finding ways to improve the roster, despite limited trade assets and salary cap issues.

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The Rockets will interview former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for their head coaching job on Wednesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. They interviewed former Hornets head coach James Borrego on Monday for their head coaching job, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The Rockets have already interviewed former Lakers head coach Frank Vogel and are expected to interview a number of experienced head coaches and prominent assistant coaches in their search to replace Stephen Silas.
Russell Westbrook is unlikely to be suspended for Game 2 of the Clippers’ series against the Suns, Chris Haynes of TNT tweets. Westbrook had a verbal altercation with a fan during halftime of Game 1 on Sunday.
Chet Holmgren missed the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot but the Thunder big man is ready to get back on the court, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, says most of the recovery and rehab process is behind him. “I’m pretty much past the rehab part of this journey,” Holmgren said, “and now I’m progressing more into the 5-on-5 stuff and kind of taking away any restrictions that I have to this point.”
There could be a major change with the Trail Blazers’ guard rotation, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian notes. General manager Joe Cronin must decide whether Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe are part of the team’s long-term plans. Either or both could be traded for the All-Star level talent that Damian Lillard craves. Conversely, Simons and Sharpe could be the backcourt starters if Lillard is dealt and Portland goes into a full rebuild.
The Timberwolves will look to bounce back from their 29-point loss to top seed Denver when they play Game 2 on Wednesday. They’ll need a huge series from Karl-Anthony Towns to have any chance in the series, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic details.
The matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could show just how far the Timberwolves are from becoming a true contender and whether the Towns-Rudy Gobert pairing can get them to that point, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune opines.