The Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward and center Karl Anthony Towns, aka KAT, is rumored to be traded to the Charlotte Hornets this summer. The Timberwolves signed Rudy Gobert to cover up for Karl, but it did not work out. The duo could not flourish together, and now they are finding suitors for one of them.
Karl played only 29 games for the Timberwolves last season and averaged 20.8 points, 4.8 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. But he has not performed the way the management expected him to, so now they are trading him off. The Hornets have shown interest in the player. Can they actually land him?
Here is all the information you need about the trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Charlotte Hornets involving Karl Anthony Towns.
What would the Hornets offer for Karl Anthony Towns?
In 2019, Karl-Anthony Towns signed a 5-year / $158,253,000 contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, including $158,253,000 guaranteed and an annual average salary of $31,650,600. In 2023-24, Towns will earn a base salary of $36,016,200.
The Hornets might offer Terry Rozier, PJ Washington, and one first-round pick each from the years 2026 and 2028 in exchange for Karl Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves would prefer trading off Karl rather than Rudy Gobert because he would be able to bring more assets in comparison to the latter. The Hornets landed Scoot Henderson this summer while everybody thought that they would sign Brandon Miller. Are they going to surprise everybody with this trade as well?
Some executives around the league believe the Timberwolves will trade Karl-Anthony Towns ‘in the next few weeks,’ per @EricPincus pic.twitter.com/DuP9953T3z
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 9, 2023
Why would the Hornets like to sign Karl Anthony Towns?
Karl and Ball would have brilliant chemistry, and Karl is much better than Mark Williams when it comes to offense. The Hornets would improve a lot offensively if they manage to land Karl on their roster. They can use Williams for his floor spacing skills or can trade him, too. Are the Hornets ready to risk it all for a magnificent offense?
Karl-Anthony Towns’ name came up in trade talks last month, per @IanBegley
“There were talks between the Timberwolves and other teams before the draft and Towns' name came up. I don't know how aggressive the Timberwolves were with Towns, if at all.”
(h/t @realgm) pic.twitter.com/qX4IWt4qph
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 14, 2023
Why would the Timberwolves let Karl Anthony Towns go?
The Timberwolves failed to improve Karl’s performance even when they tried to fix the drawbacks by signing Rudy Gobert. They are forced to make a change now, and since Karl would give them a better return, he is most likely to be the one who leaves.
Will being more valuable eventually become a reason for Karl’s departure? Will Karl perform better with the Hornets? We’ll keep you updated.
