According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors were interested in Karl-Anthony Towns before the Minnesota Timberwolves traded him to the New York Knicks.
According to league sources, the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves discussed Karl Anthony-Towns in recent months, but nothing came of it. The Timberwolves desired a certain package from the New York Knicks that the Warriors did not have. “There is no other obvious big name immediately available as the regular season begins,” Slater wrote.
The Knicks had Donte DiVincenzo, a former Warriors guard who the Timberwolves had been interested in since free agency last year. During the 2022 NBA free agency period, DiVincenzo signed a two-year, $9.3 million contract with the Warriors, with a player option in the second year. He outperformed his contract and refused his second-year option, leaving the Warriors with few resources to re-sign him.
DiVincenzo decided between the Knicks and the Timberwolves in his free agency. He eventually chose the Knicks because of his Villanova ties with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, and after a conversation with Warriors star Stephen Curry.
who supported his plan to travel to New York and play with his college friends.
Had the Warriors been able to maintain DiVincenzo, they would have a better chance of acquiring Towns than the Knicks. The 7-foot Towns would have been an ideal floor-spacing big man in Kerr’s pace-and-space system, as he shot 39.8% from three during his career.
Steph Curry said most NBA teams do not want to trade with the Warriors.
Towns was the Warriors’ latest missed opportunity in their star-chasing efforts.
At the February trade deadline, they attempted to acquire LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, in the offseason, they attempted to sign former Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George and Utah Jazz All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen before the Towns negotiations. “Let’s keep it real,” Curry told The Athletic. “Most teams are probably not going to want to help us.”
Draymond Green concurred, praising Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. for his attempts to recruit another All-Star to the Bay Area.
“He was very persistent (in) making the date work,” Green said of Dunleavy, according to The Athletic. Dunleavy deferred the deadline on Chris Paul’s $30 million team option, which would have been used as a salary ballast in the
George traded. “He performed his job. Paul George wanted to come here. So, a shoutout to Mike. “The Clippers simply would not do (an opt-in and trade).” Green speculated that if the Warriors had acquired George, they would have invested heavily in Markkanen.
“The conversation was always about that possibility,” Green continued. “You get both of those people, and you make a big splash. However, the Clippers were hesitant to play. Then Danny Ainge was just Danny Ainge.” Veteran Additions
The Warriors’ failure to sign a superstar did not derail their free agency strategy.
They added three veterans, who they believe have boosted their roster on the fringes.
According to The Athletic, De’Anthony Melton was the Warriors’ top free agent target, alongside Kyle Anderson.
“Melton said the Warriors’ front office was in his agent’s office within 20 minutes of free agency starting,” according to Slater.
Dunleavy was also the driving force in obtaining Kyle Anderson from the Timberwolves. “Look, Kyle Anderson’s a hell of a player,” Kerr recalls Dunleavy telling him, according to The Athletic. “We should turn our sights on him and a couple of these other guys, turn our cap space and flexibility into good players, and let it sort out from there.”
Despite not securing their top targets, the Warriors think they have one of the NBA’s deepest teams. Their 6-0 preseason record backed this up.
Now the question is how far they can go in the playoffs with Stephen Curry as their headliner surrounded by such a strong supporting group.
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