Los Angeles Lakers: Why they should trade for Karl-Anthony Towns

Could Karl Anthony-Towns be available for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade for before free agency begins?

The Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for the 2018 NBA Draft and the start of free agency. However, there are now rumors circulating around the NBA landscape that there is a rift going on between star center Karl Anthony-Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who said during his podcast on Friday that the team and Towns are currently “not in a good place internally.”

With that being said, could KAT be on his way to the trading block? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wouldn’t be surprised if his name came up in trade rumors when he spoke about this issue on Lowe’s podcast.

"“I don’t think Anthony Davis is going anywhere any time soon,” Windhorst said. “But Karl Towns…now that might be a different story.”"

This would make sense for the Timberwolves to think about and here’s why. KAT is in the final year of his rookie deal and will be looking for that same deal that Andrew Wiggins signed the last offseason, which was a five-year, $150 million dollar deal.

Jimmy Butler, who has one year remaining on his deal, will also be looking for a max deal from the T-Wolves as well. That’s about a five-year, $187 million deal.

More from Lake Show Life

Those three contracts together would total almost a half a billion dollars in total worth and would eat up just about the entire cap space for just three players.

Is that trio worth that amount of money when the second round seems to be their ceiling?

In comes the purple and gold which makes a ton of sense for them to make a deal and try to get one of the best young center’s and players the league has to offer.

One reason this makes sense for the Lakers to make a move for KAT is that you’re maintaining the youth. KAT has completed only three seasons in the NBA and won’t be turning 23 until the middle of November. That’s number one.

Another reason this makes sense is that you would get Towns for the long term. With the Lakers interest in getting Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs or a Jimmy Butler from the T-Wolves, combined with their youth, a long-term outlook is best to take.

Karl Anthony-Towns will be a restricted free agent in 2019, which means that even if the Lakers did trade for Towns and couldn’t get a long-term deal done, they could match any offer that he receives. That’s number two.

Free agency will also play a huge factor in this. If the Lakers were able to acquire Towns in a trade, that would do wonders.

One, the cap wouldn’t be affected at all as KAT is on his rookie deal, meaning that the Lakers just inserted a star player without affecting the cap space. That brings us to point number two.

That would be so enticing for free agents like Paul George and especially LeBron James to come along and play for the purple and gold.

Now, LA would most likely have to part with either Brandon Ingram or Kyle Kuzma, another player and either the 25th pick in this year’s NBA Draft or a pick in 2019. However, if they can pull this off, the Lakers not only keep their young core intact, but they get their big man of the future, maintain their young core and they’re more attractive for future free agents.

Next: 50 Greatest Players In Lakers Franchise History

So Lakers fans, do you want the Lakers to make a trade for Karl Anthony-Towns?

Home/Lakers News