Golden State Warriors rumor reveals surprise attempt at Karl-Anthony Towns trade, why talks broke down

A surprising Golden State Warriors rumor reveals that the organization also attempted a trade for former Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns this summer.

This was an eventful offseason for the Warriors. Early in free agency, they saw the Big Three era come to a sad end when Klay Thompson took his talents to the Dallas Mavericks. The team then countered the loss by signing veterans De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield.

However, since last season’s NBA trade deadline, the organization has been linked to several blockbuster trades for All-Star talent. Before the deadline, they attempted to lure Lebron James away from the Lakers. In July there were rumblings of interest in Jimmy Butler. And throughout the summer they reportedly pursued Jazz star Lauri Markkanen.

However, it seems there was another big-time player the Golden State Warriors had trade talks about in the offseason.

Golden State Warriors failed at summer Karl-Anthony Towns trade

“In the last couple of months, the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves had a conversation about Karl Anthony-Towns,” The Athletic Warriors insider Anthony Slater reported this week.

It seems that improving the frontcourt has been a priority of the Golden State front office over the last six months. So a Towns trade does make sense — maybe not financially. And he and Draymond Green would have made an interesting combination, along with the likes of Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins, up front.

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So what happened that a deal never got close? “[Talks] didn’t go anywhere. The Timberwolves targeted a specific package from the New York Knicks that the Warriors didn’t possess,” Slater claimed.

The Knicks gave up three-time All-star Julius Randle, gifted three-point shooter Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick in the deal. The Golden State Warriors could come nowhere close to matching that offer with reports in the summer stating that youngsters Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski were off-limits in trades.