Warriors inquiry on trade for 4x All-Star was always going to be difficult

While they ultimately failed in landing another genuine All-Star during the offseason, the Golden State Warriors certainly were aggressive in trying to make it happen.

As reported by Anthony Slater of The Athletic on Tuesday, the Warriors wanted not one but both of Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason in what would have been a franchise-defining splash that rippled through the league. Instead, Golden State ended up with neither George or Markkanen, and also missed out on another multi-time All-Star just before the season.

The Warriors had interest in Karl-Anthony Towns

According to Slater in the same report, the Warriors had expressed interest in 4x All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns before he was dealt in a blockbuster trade to the New York Knicks.

In the last couple of months, the Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves had a conversation about Karl Anthony-Towns, league sources said, but it didn’t go anywhere," Slater wrote.

Pulling off a Towns trade would have been difficult for Golden State on a number of fronts, not least finding a way to match the $49.2 million salary Towns is making this season. The former number one overall pick has just started a four-year, $220.4 million extension, having been traded to the Knicks in a deal involving Julius Randle and former Warrior guard Donte DiVincenzo.

The Warriors would have needed to include another of the Timberwolves' former number one overall picks, Andrew Wiggins, as the key piece in reaching Towns' salary. After trading Wiggins to Golden State in 2020, would Minnesota have been willing to re-acquire the Canadian? Highly unlikely.

Even if they were willing to take back Wiggins, there's no guarantee that the Timberwolves would have also wanted the likes of Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and Jonathan Kuminga as other salaries/assets that would have been required.

Towns would have been interesting for Golden State, providing them with the kind of talented, offensively-skilled big man they've never really had over the past decade. The 28-year-old is a career 22.9 point per game scorer on 39.8% from three-point range, while also adding 10.8 rebounds and over three assists.

As much as many fans may want the Warriors to acquire another All-Star level player, it's obvious and understandable on both sides as to why discussions didn't extend very far when it comes to a Towns-to-Golden State trade.

Towns made his debut for the Knicks against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, recording 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes during the blowout 132-109 defeat to the reigning champions.