ORLANDO — Few teams this offseason are as well positioned as the Orlando Magic to make a roster splash.
Could one of their moves be adding a big man from a team that reached the Western Conference Finals?
Bleacher Report proposed trades for Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. Among them was Orlando trading Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, and the No. 18 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft for KAT.
“While this move would leave the Magic with a need at the 1, Anthony Black has shown some potential there, and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner do plenty of on-ball creation anyway,” Bleacher Report writes. “Orlando could really use Towns’ specific skill set, too. It was 22nd in points per 100 possessions, tied for 23rd in three-point percentage, and tied for last in threes per game.”
The Timberwolves enter this offseason with some difficult questions to answer. Is it sustainable to run it back for a third season with KAT, Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards and can they afford to pay each player in excess of $40 million? If the Wolves choose to let go of one of their giants, who will they pick between Towns and Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year who is eligible to sign an extension this offseason?
Towns, 28, has a rare skill set among the league’s big men. He can score in the post and beyond the 3-point line. He’s made better than 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in five of his nine seasons. He has also averaged over 20 points and six rebounds per game in eight consecutive seasons.
Across four postseason appearances, KAT has averaged a double-double — 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 32 playoff games.
Towns’ versatility as a scorer would add a welcome dimension to the Magic offense. He spaces the floor with his ability to shoot from beyond the arc. He also can be a punishing presence in the paint and a lob threat when Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner drive to the basket.
KAT also has proven to be a more than capable defender, averaging at least 1.1 blocks per game before the arrival of Gobert in 2022 and posting a defensive rating of under 110 in six of his nine seasons.
There are concerns about his durability and his 9-figure contract. The 7-foot center, who turns 29 in November, has played in 50 or fewer games in three of his past five seasons due to various knee injuries, including a torn meniscus at the end of this season that caused him to miss 18 consecutive games.
In 2024-25, Towns enters the first season of a four-year, $221-million extension. At the same time, Wagner and Jalen Suggs are eligible for rookie-scale extensions this offseason. Banchero’s extension comes after next season.
If Minnesota puts KAT on the trade block, the Magic would be remiss if they didn’t see what it would cost in trade assets to land the four-time All-Star. If Anthony, Carter Jr., and its first-round pick in this year’s draft is what it’ll cost, landing the Timberwolves center could be more than feasible for a Magic team looking to make another jump next season.
This summer is a pivotal moment for the Magic. What pieces might they add to improve their chances from entry-level playoff team to conference contender?
The NBA Draft and free agency are four weeks away. The hypothetical trades — Towns, Trae Young, Darius Garland, Michael Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell — are arriving almost daily. Buckle up.