NBA Mock Trade: OKC Thunder Trade for Timberwolves' Star Big Man

Could the Oklahoma City Thunder make a play on the Minnesota Timberwolves' star big man?

The NBA is in an era of star movement and a lack of continuity on rosters. Every trade deadline or offseason, for whatever reasons, seems to include big moves that substantially shake the NBA landscape.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, being roped into trading for star players will be consistent. The team has the draft arsenal and young talent to trade for just about any player in the entirety of the league.

One team the Thunder may find themselves linked to is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who could be entering an era led by Anthony Edwards. If the team wants to maximize his talent and shift their championship window to fit his timeline, trading one or both of Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert might make sense.

While the Thunder's five-out offense doesn't complement Gobert's game and vice versa, Anthony-Towns might be able to immerse himself into the system. For this reason, and the fact that the Thunder could easily pull the trigger on a trade like this without burning a hole in their assets, the idea of Anthony-Towns making his way to Oklahoma City will be mocked.

What does a trade between the two teams look like? 

Oklahoma City receives: Karl Anthony-Towns

Minnesota receives: Lu Dort, Davis Bertans, Ousmane Dieng and two future first-round picks

It's unlikely that the Thunder give up this level of value for Anthony-Towns, but the Timberwolves wouldn't trade him for pennies. 

Given the defense Dort will provide alongside rookie Chet Holmgren and the upside Dieng has, the team could choose to sit on their hands and let things play out before making any substantial moves.

The trade window for Anthony-Towns might not be open long enough for the Thunder to be willing to analyze what they have to then make a move on it.

While the trade is unlikely, there's a world where the trade could make sense for both sides, but the Thunder would also assume a huge contract that may be hard to once again move. Wanting to keep its championship window open long-term, the Thunder could be better off avoiding the situation entirely.


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Inside The Thunder Staff
INSIDE THE THUNDER STAFF

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