When the Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves one week ago, Karl-Anthony Towns did not suit up.
The 24-year-old has missed the last six games because of a left knee injury, and it's unclear if he will take the floor when Golden State plays in Minnesota on Thursday night.
Speaking of unclear -- it sounds like Towns' future with the T-Wolves is somewhat murky, with the latest intel coming from Ethan Strauss of The Athletic:
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The Warriors have been monitoring Karl-Anthony Towns’ situation in Minnesota. He’s under contract until 2023-24 but has less reason than (Giannis) Antetokounmpo to be thrilled with his team’s trajectory. This was a topic among multiple team executives at the recent G League Showcase, with a few relaying word that Towns is unhappy in Minnesota.
While the Wolves might dream of a scenario where (D'Angelo) Russell teams up with his good friend Towns, the Warriors have a differing vision of how a trade between the two franchises could shake out.
The T-Wolves -- who opened the season winning 10 of their first 18 games -- have dropped 12 of their last 13, and are in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Towns is in the first season of a five-year, $158.3 million max contract he signed in September 2018. And despite reports of his current unhappiness, he could want to stay long term with the franchise that selected him No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Golden State Warriors
The two-time All-Star is averaging 26.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists, while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and just under 42 percent from deep.
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Russell, meanwhile -- who has said he hopes to stay with the Warriors and not be traded -- is averaging 23.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and and over 36 percent from 3-point territory.
At this point, nobody knows how anything is going to shake out, and it seems unlikely that either player gets traded before the Feb. 6 deadline. But if the Warriors' front office is keeping its eye on Towns' predicament in Minnesota, you should too.