Rosas: Towns “As Untouchable As They Come”

Teams around the NBA have been keeping an eye on the Timberwolves this season to see how Karl-Anthony Towns is coping with another sub-.500 season, but president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas made it clear in a conversation with ESPN’s Eric Woodyard that those clubs won’t get a chance to trade for the star big man this winter.

“Karl-Anthony Towns is as untouchable as they come,” Rosas told Woodyard. “He’s the best player on our team and he’s the guy we’re building around. Everything we do is to help him become the best player and to help us become the best team we can be. He’s a special talent that we’re going to do anything possible to help him achieve his highest potential.”

Rosas’ comments don’t come as a surprise. The opportunity to build around Towns was likely a major reason why he agreed to become the head of basketball operations in Minnesota last spring after nearly two decades in Houston.

Towns is in the first season of a five-year, maximum-salary contract, so there’s no reason for the Timberwolves to consider a move involving the former No. 1 overall pick unless he explicitly asks for one — even then, he’d have limited leverage to force the team’s hand, since he can’t reach the open market until 2024.

Although the Wolves have had a disappointing season so far, with their 15-29 record placing them in a tie for 13th in the West, Towns recently dismissed the idea that he’s unhappy in Minnesota, referring to the trade speculation surrounding him as “nonsense.”

For now, Rosas and the Wolves’ front office are expected to continue seeking ways to upgrade Towns’ supporting cast, with a long-term answer at point guard among the most pressing items on the club’s wish list.

“We’ve been very aggressive. We’ve been very thorough in terms of any opportunities to help our team, and that’ll be a continual process,” Rosas told ESPN. “So for us, we’re gonna be very active and we’re going to look at any opportunity that can present itself and make sure that if there’s a deal that we can do to improve our team, we’re going to take advantage of those opportunities.”

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