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Karl-Anthony Towns has developed a knack for making bold claims lately. The latest, during an interview with GQ, saw him claim he was leaving space on his left finger ring for his first NBA championship win. Towns and the Timberwolves have made the playoffs the last two seasons, but only after clinching a play-in tournament spot.
Last season, they added Rudy Gobert to their roster to bolster their hopes of a deep playoff push. However, that move did not seem to make a ton of difference. The Timberwolves finished a place lower than they did the previous season in eighth, qualifying as the eighth seed.
They suffered a first-round exit yet again, losing in five games to the eventual champions Denver Nuggets. Towns' struggles in the playoffs continued as he failed to replicate his regular season form.
He averaged 18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting 25.0% from deep. Those are respectable numbers for elite role players at best, not an All-Star caliber player like Karl-Anthony Towns.
Keeping his recent struggles and the team's strange fit with Rudy Gobert in the starting lineup with KAT, fans brutally mocked the latter for his championship claims. Here's one of the reactions:
"That finger going to be waiting a long time"
More followed:
Karl-Anthony Towns has been involved in trade rumors this offseason
The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to have hit a roadblock in their championship pursuit. As presently constructed, their roster does not seem solid enough to go the distance. The Timberwolves have also exhausted all their assets by adding Rudy Gobert.
One of the biggest questions surrounding the team has been Karl-Anthony Towns potentially being on the trade block. Several rumors have linked the All-Star center to various sides around the NBA.
Critics and analysts have also called for the Towns to get traded. Anthony Edwards' emergence and Towns' recent struggles led many to believe that would be an ideal move forward for the Timberwolves.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns also has better trade value between him and Rudy Gobert.
"Towns is also generally regarded leaguewide as the far more tradeable of the two given he's the younger of the 7-footers (27 to Gobert's 31) and his long-distance shooting ability,"
Meanwhile, Karl-Anthony Towns intends to stay in Minnesota. During his interview with GQ, the former No. 1 pick said:
"I've said I want to do great things in Minnesota and nothing in my mind has changed that. They're the ones with the cards. They'll let me know how they look at me in my eyes and that's where we'll go from."
KAT may not have thrived as a No. 1 option, but he would be a solid second or third option on contending teams, owing to his ability to shoot the lights out, despite being a 7-foot center. He would be a hot commodity in the market due to his size and skill set.
Click here to read Marc Stein's report.
Click here to read Karl-Anthony Towns' interview with GQ.
