Should the Cleveland Cavaliers peruse Karl-Anthony Towns this season?

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a rough end to their season, so should consider something drastic?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that feels like they need a big swing of some sort. Maybe it’s one big swing, for one big player, or maybe it’s four or five small to moderate swings that produce a big outcome. Either way, the team cannot go into the 2023 offseason and tinker and expect fans to be confident with this team.

The team needs scoring, without gutting the defense. That’s why the many smaller moves theory makes the most sense. You could do a sign and trade with Caris LeVert for someone like Gordon Hayward, bring over the prospects from the 2022 NBA Draft class, and chase down a moderate free agent with the full mid-level exception you have.

However, one trade suggestion had me perk my ears up. Someone on Fanspro suggested trading for the Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns isn’t the future of the Timberwolves franchise anymore and it’s clear that they can’t win with him as the number one option. He’s too injury-prone to be the lead guy and his defense isn’t great, though it’s good enough.

Just not good enough for the Timberwolves.

So that’s why a trade with the Cavs makes sense. Here’s how the trade would shake out;

Karl-Anthony Towns could help the Cleveland Cavaliers

Losing your second and third-best defensive players to make room for Towns isn’t great, in theory. Yet, what Towns can bring to the table in scoring, if he’s healthy enough for it to matter, can’t be overlooked. He’s a true stretch four with the ability to play inside at the five. He’s got a great three-point shot that could put the Cavs over the top offensively, at least among their starting five.

They could also just insert Cedi Osman into the starting role as well, and be just fine.

Now, the problem is a lot of people don’t think this trade would work, after all, Towns is one of the best players in the league, right? Well, not. Towns is someone that the Cavs would have a realistic shot at because as he’s proven, he’s not a number one guy anymore.

If he ever were. He’s 28, has a history of coming up short in big moments, and isn’t much of a leader. In Cleveland, he wouldn’t have to be. He’d be right behind Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell as options, and Mitchell has clearly emerged as a locker-room leader for this team.

Towns failed as the number one option on a team, but the number three option on the team? That seems very possible to work out.

Does this trade work for the Timberwolves? At this point, you’re not getting back fair value for Towns because he misses so much time. Allen is an All-Star center, who with Okoro will boost your defense significantly, and give Anthony Edwards a more reliable supporting cast around him.

If not a less impressive.