If Karl-Anthony Towns really is that unhappy in Minnesota, the Phoenix Suns have some decent assets they could be willing to trade. Let’s go through them.
I have half-way joked about Karl-Anthony Towns auditioning for his future team every time he plays the Phoenix Suns. Now, it is slightly more than a half-joke.
When news broke about the Golden State Warriors monitoring the situation (whatever that means) in Minnesota surrounding a reportedly unhappy Karl-Anthony Towns, the first thing I thought was, “The Phoenix Suns could put together a way better offer than they could.”
But what is that offer?
First and foremost, the deal would most certainly require the inclusion of Deandre Ayton. He’s still on his rookie contract for three more years, so the value there is extremely strong. While Ayton hasn’t exactly been (earmuffs, kids!) Luka Doncic, he certainly hasn’t been a bust either, and on the surface, swapping those two makes sense.
They are both big men who can shoot (albeit Towns with significantly more range), and they were both the number one overall picks of their respective draft classes.
But the Wolves and NBA trade machines are going to require more, both in return value and overall salary, to make this deal work.
For precedent, look at the recent trade that sent another disgruntled prominent Kentucky superstar out west when the Lakers gave up a wealth of assets to get Anthony Davis. It included Lonzo Ball (#2 overall pick), Brandon Ingram (#2 overall pick), Josh Hart (#30 overall pick) and three future first round picks.
Generational superstar or not, that is a haul.
To be fair, the Pelicans had all the leverage in this deal and Towns isn’t quite on the Brow’s tier, but if this trade were to happen, it will not come cheap.
There are two distinct ways the Suns could look at this: either they include Tyler Johnson‘s expiring, crappy contract or they don’t. If they do, they’d likely have to fork over a truck load of draft picks too.
They might have to do that anyway.
More than likely, though, the Wolves probably don’t even want that contract for the sake of making a trade work, and ideally the Suns could save Tyler Johnson’s expiring deal for another trade that would bring in another veteran (perhaps a point guard).
In terms of picks, the Suns gave up their 2020 and 2021 second round selections, but have all their first rounders from here until eternity.
Here are X trades they could offer today and the Wolves might be willing nibble upon.
First, let’s keep Tyler Johnson’s contract in the mix and start with the most simplistic of the options. Deandre Ayton, Tyler Johnson, and a boat-load of first round draft picks.
For the sake of putting something on paper, I’ve placed the 2020 unprotected first rounder and a protected first rounder in both 2022 and 2024 in the equation, since teams can’t trade first round picks in consecutive years.
Is that enough?
This feels like the scene from Oceans 11, when George Clooney is asking Brad Pitt if they have enough men to pull their job off successfully.
You think we need one more? You think we need one more.
Then maybe throw in Mikal Bridges as well.
If they included Bridges, the Suns might be able to squeak out swapping out one of those first rounders for a pair of second rounders. That might be the way to go, but it is going to take a lot to get a team’s franchise player.
This might not do it.
Let’s forego Tyler Johnson’s contract and see if we can make it work with a much more appealing player.
I’m going to assume the Timberwolves don’t want either Ricky Rubio or Dario Saric back, so take those two off the table.
That makes Kelly Oubre Jr. the only trade-worthy candidate who makes enough money for the transaction to be valid. Technically, he’s not eligible for trade until January 14, but that wouldn’t be a barrier.
It pains me to write that, especially after his magnificent game against the Portland Trail Blazers that involved him blowing kisses to everyone in the arena.
In my opinion, the Suns should do everything they can to keep Oubre, who has been the source of so much of the Suns’ recent culture change. However, we are talking about Karl-Anthony Towns here. Perhaps a generational superstar. To say Oubre is a non-starter in negotiations is sweet, but extremely short-sided.
I hope it doesn’t work out where Oubre is involved in any would-be trade, and he keeps doing push-ups mid game for the Suns for the foreseeable future, but if it means getting Towns, then James Jones would have to consider it.
Then again, if they didn’t want to consider Oubre, there are other options.
This is the least likely trade scenario floated in this post. There just isn’t enough there to buy a 24 year-old perinatal All-Star yet to reach his prime, however if the Suns plan on keeping Obure and holding off Johnson’s contract as trade bait for someone else, then this is about the only way to make the money work.
Baynes is older than what the Wolves would want and on a one-year deal, but would have to be included to match up the salaries. And because there are so many players the Suns would be giving up, the Timberwolves may need to add a throw-in player like Noah Vonleh or Jordan Bell just so they wouldn’t have to cut half their players after the trade.
I really put this on here as an example of a route the Suns can’t really take. And the Timberwolves won’t.
The real answer is likely a combination of all the above.
This is the strongest offer I’ve got, save from adding in another draft pick.
The Timberwolves would get the youth and draft picks they want, and it is fairly in line with the aforementioned Anthony Davis trade.
The Suns would have to give up Cam Johnson’s shooting, but they are going to have to give up some value to get it.
In this scenario, the Wolves would need to add some throw-in players to make the money work out. I added the expiring deals of Noah Vonleh and Shabazz Napier for the sake of it, but feel free to interchange any of the Wolves’ low-cost players here.
After fumbling through all the trade combinations this one seems to be the most fair. It feels like it hurts both teams equally, which is always the best compromise.
In recent years, the Suns have sat idly by while other teams made strong offers for big name talent. While Kevin Love is out there, and he’s fine, he is by no means Karl-Anthony Towns.
Making a trade like this would finally put the Suns on the NBA map of teams to watch, and would inject a full syringe of enthusiasm into a Phoenix Suns fan base that has been teetering on edge of full-blown apathy for some time now.
Regardless of the exact combination of expiring contracts, draft picks, and young talent, the deal is there to be made.
Make it!