NBA Trade Rumors: Golden State Warriors among the teams interested in trading for Karl-Anthony Towns

What's the rumor?

The Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be out of the race to make the playoffs after making an 11-20 start to the season, and recent reports have suggested that Karl-Anthony Towns is unhappy with his situation in Minnesota. Towns has established himself as one of the NBA's best centers over the past two seasons, and Ethan Strauss of The Athletic is reporting that the Golden State Warriors are among the teams interested in completing a trade for the 24-year-old:

The Warriors have been monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns’ situation in Minnesota. Add their young potential star in Russell to intriguing prospects like surprise rookie sensation Eric Paschall, G League dominant Alen Smailagić, plus a high draft pick and you have a package that could facilitate a superstar trade.

In case you didn't know...

The Timberwolves selected Towns with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and the New Jersey native was named Rookie of the Year following an impressive debut season. Over the past three seasons, Towns has developed into one of the most dominant centers in the NBA, and he was named as an All-Star in both 2018 and 2019.

Towns' 5-year, $190 million contract extension came into effect at the beginning of this season, and through 23 appearances this season, the Timberwolves star has averaged 26.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.

The heart of the matter

The Timberwolves have long identified Towns as the future of the franchise, and due to the length of time remaining on his contract - the team is under no pressure to trade the two-time All-Star. Nevertheless, Towns has made just one trip to the playoffs during his time in Minnesota, and the front office will need to be ambitious in the trade market in order to convince Towns that he can compete for titles with the team.

What's next?

The Timberwolves will be looking to pick up a rare win this evening as they take on the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, the Warriors will take on the San Antonio Spurs tomorrow.