The 2023 NBA offseason has been wild.
We already knew it would be an all-timer thanks to the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, but we didn't know all that it would entail.
Like Bradley Beal finally splitting from the Washington Wizards and joining both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the Phoenix Suns. Or the Houston Rockets deciding their rebuild has progressed to the point where it's OK to shower Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks with a ton of cash. Or the Golden State Warriors turning long-time foe Chris Paul into a short-term friend. Or the Boston Celtics splitting from Marcus Smart to add and extend Kristaps Porzingis.
It's been a wild ride, but if the basketball world has taught us anything, it's that things could still get wilder. After all, Damian Lillard's trade request has gone ungranted so far, and he is one of several prominent players who could be on the move sooner than later.
We're firing up the trade machines to broker five fake blockbusters that fans wouldn't see coming—but could actually work if they went down.
Hornets Solidify Center Spot, Timberwolves Add Depth and Draft Assets
Charlotte Hornets receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Terry Rozier, P.J. Washington (sign-and-trade), 2026 first-round pick (top-three protected) and 2028 first-round pick
In 2020, the Hornets spent the No. 3 pick on LaMelo Ball. They've seen watched him become an All-Star and one of the league's most exciting young players.
They've also gone only 103-133 during his three-season tenure. That's the Association's eighth-worst mark over this stretch.
Charlotte needs a shake-up in the worst kind of way. Buying (relatively) low on Towns would be a fascinating way to make it happen.
He'd immediately plug the Hornets' glaring void at center and team with Ball in what should be one of the NBA's best pick-and-choose tandems. Since Towns can both pop to the perimeter or roll to the rim, he'd give defenses a ton to think about while they're also accounting for Ball, who averaged 23.3 points, 8.4 assists and 4.0 three-pointers this past season.
The Towns-Ball twosome would help establish the Hornets' identity as an uptempo, offense-leaning outfit that should prop up role players with the incredible spacing this tandem would provide. Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller and Nick Smith Jr. could all thrive in the attack lanes Towns and Ball would open up.
Minnesota, meanwhile, would concede what many figured out long ago: The Towns-Rudy Gobert partnership was doomed from the start. It was a wonky fit on paper and no better in practice (minus-7.6 net rating in 119 shared minutes this postseason). Considering the colossal cost of keeping it together, the Wolves should pull the plug as soon as possible.
While they'd lose the best player in this deal, they could still come out ahead. Rozier could provide stability and a succession plan beyond 35-year-old point guard Mike Conley. Washington could provide offensive spacing and better mobility on defense. Finally, the picks would help cover some of the damage done during last summer's ill-fated Gobert trade.