Should the OKC Thunder have pursued Karl-Anthony Towns?

With less than a month until the start of the NBA regular season, the trade should be over. Teams have taken the final steps to prepare and build a full roster, and any significant changes to it would be abrupt.

In the NBA you have to expect the unexpected.

On Friday night, Shams Charania broke the news that the Minnesota Timberwolves had traded their longtime franchise big man to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick, one of the most high-profile moves of the offseason.

After playing a crucial role alongside Anthony Edwards in helping the Timberwolves back into the playoffs, it was surprising to see Towns seemingly dealt out of nowhere. The power forward averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and three assists while shooting 50% from the field and nearly 42% from behind the arc.

While Minnesota got a solid return for Towns, it certainly could have put together a stronger package for a team with strengths like the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams would have been off the table, but it probably would have been interesting for the Timberwolves to add several other players to the Thunder’s roster in addition to their stock of first-round picks.

Whether it’s some combination of Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace or Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City has a deep roster of young and talented players throughout its roster. Each player could fit right into Minnesota’s system and help save money financially so Anthony Edwards can get a long-term contract extension when the time comes.

At the same time, Towns might not have made logical sense with the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander has already been promised a significant amount, and big extensions are waiting in the background for Holmgren and Williams. If you add in his annual salary of over $50 million, you risk holding the core together.

There is no doubt that Town’s unique skillset as a big man would be a good fit in Oklahoma City. The frontcourt pairing of him and Holmgren would give opposing defenses nightmares and give an already elite 3-point shooting team even more of a boost. Still, the trade was unrealistic given the direction the franchise is headed.

The Thunder have the opportunity to make a splash with all of their assets, but the timing didn’t make sense for them to acquire Towns. It will probably happen later, just not now.

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