NBA Trade Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves for greener pastures this off-season

The Minnesota Timberwolves will be looking to make only their second playoff appearance in 17 seasons when they head into 2020-21 but NBA trade rumors claim they might have to do so without talisman center Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Timberwolves paired Karl-Anthony Towns with star guard D'Angelo Russell in the middle of the ongoing season in the hopes that the two would form a formidable duo and lead the franchise into the post-season. However, it appears the big man might have other plans instead.

The Minnesota Timberwolves also have the 1st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, which means they could potentially draft a super talent or trade it away for a 3rd star. Either way, the entire blueprint prepared by the front office on how the franchise will function for years to come will have to be scrapped if Karl-Anthony Towns - the face of the franchise - decides to move on to greener pastures.

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NBA Trade Rumors: Has Karl-Anthony Towns lost faith in the Minnesota Timberwolves?

NBA Trade Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns may have had enough with the Minnesota Timberwolves' inability to compete

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the brightest spark in an otherwise dull Minnesota Timberwolves team. The 24-year-old Dominican-American is one of the best players in the NBA in his position and is arguably the greatest shooting big man of all time.

Towns averaged 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game in 2019-20. Those statistics are nothing short of an anomaly, especially considering the fact that he did so while shooting over 50% from the floor and 40% from the three-point range.

Understandably, a player as good as Karl-Anthony Towns would be hungry to win games but the Minnesota Timberwolves just haven't provided him with a good enough opportunity to do so. According to NBA trade rumors, Towns might have had enough:

According to @SKORNorth, a “really good player that knows KAT really well” told an Agent that Karl-Anthony Towns “is as good as gone” from Minnesota. 👀(h/t @TheNBACentral)

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 24, 2020

The identity of the mystery player remains a matter of speculation. However, the whistleblower, SKOR North, is a reputed insider when it comes to sports in Minnesota.

If the NBA trade rumor indeed has some substance to it, Minnesota Timberwolves fans will be absolutely devastated as Karl-Anthony Towns was central to all their dreams and aspirations in the coming years.

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Karl-Anthony Towns career statistics

NBA Trade Rumors: The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't surrounded Karl-Anthony Towns with a good enough supporting cast

Career points per game - 22.7

Career assists per game - 11.8

Career rebounds per game - 2.8

Career field goal % - 53.4%

Career 3pt % - 39.6%

At just 22 years old, Karl-Anthony Towns made his first All-Star appearance & All NBA Team (3rd Team). pic.twitter.com/p9P4KMKAGC

— UNO (@dlouno) September 21, 2020

Karl-Anthony Towns' numbers speak for themselves. He is one of the most offensively skilled big men we have seen in recent NBA history. Towns is still only 24, so his ceiling is even higher, which is a frightening prospect for his opposition.

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't surrounded the former All-Star with a supporting cast good enough to win games against the top teams in the NBA, and one can understand his alleged frustration.

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