The Golden State Warriors are keeping tabs on Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, according to The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss.
Only recently removed from their perch as the NBA’s most dominant ball club, Steve Kerr’s Warriors started the season as the underdogs, and understandably so. Kevin Durant is long gone, having committed the next few years of his career to the Brooklyn Nets, while both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are out with long-term injuries.
Golden State Warriors Interested in Karl-Anthony Towns
A Wasted Season for the Golden State Warriors
The team has shown significant improvement on the defensive end in recent times, something that propelled them to a four-game win streak from December 20th to December 27th before a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.
Kerr and the Warriors have likely written this season off as one for development. Next season, they will regroup and mount another attack on the NBA championship. But that won’t stop them from going after the best players available on the market if they have the wherewithal. Per Strauss, the team has been monitoring the situation brewing with Towns in Minnesota.
Karl-Anthony Towns a Hot Topic at the G League Showcase
“Every plausible team is keyed on Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose future may be determined by whatever happens in these upcoming playoffs,” he writes. “The Warriors have been monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns’ situation in Minnesota. He’s under contract until 2023-24. He has less reason than Antetokounmpo to be thrilled with his team’s trajectory.”
This was a topic among multiple team executives at the recent G League Showcase. with a few relaying words that Towns is unhappy in Minnesota. The Wolves currently sit at 13th in the Western Conference, two spots ahead of the gap-year Warriors, looking at another lost season.
“While the Wolves might dream of a scenario where Russell teams up with his good friend Towns, the Warriors have a differing vision of how a trade between the two franchises could shake out.”
Towns, the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, has lived up to the hype. This season, he is averaging 26.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest. Despite this, the Wolves are looking unlikely to make the playoffs at 12-20 so far this season. The two-time All-Star is easily one of the most skilled big men in the NBA at the moment. It would make sense for the Warriors as he’s able to spread the floor with his outside shooting. However, he can also be a commanding presence in the paint both on offense and defense.
The Warriors would probably have to give D’Angelo Russell up to get Towns. Although that deal is thought to be a long shot at the moment. But there could be plenty of trade activity afoot before the deadline on February 6th.
Current NBA Betting Favorites
Kerr’s side is last in the Western Conference at the moment with no hope of making the playoffs this season. The Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are the joint favorites to win the title at 13/4 with online bookmakers Bet365.
Another major NBA title contender this season are the Bucks. William Hill has them at 7/2, with the Philadelphia 76ers at 8/1. Betfair lists the Houston Rockets at 11/1, while the Denver Nuggets are 14/1 per Marathon Bet.
Adding a player like Towns would certainly boost the former champs. However, it would do little where their title aspirations are concerned this season. A healthy backcourt boasting Curry and Thompson, coupled with the Timberwolves star, next season would be considered instant contenders, however.
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