Related: Chris Finch Disgusted by Timberwolves Immature Basketball vs Hornets

Karl-Anthony Towns goes off vs Charlotte

Ant was far from 100%, though he did play nearly the entire game and nearly finished with a double-double. But when Karl hit a few shots early in the 1st quarter and got into a rhythm, it immediately started to feel like one of those Karl — get on my back — Towns kind of nights.

But shit didn’t start to get real crazy until KAT busted 40 midway through the 2nd quarter.

40 BURGER AND IT'S STILL BEFORE THE BREAK.

😼😼😼😼😼😼😼 pic.twitter.com/3vPjBSvbNZ

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 23, 2024

58 THROUGH THREE. 😼😼😼 pic.twitter.com/SMDS9eOHGB

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) January 23, 2024

Towns remained hot to start the 2nd half. He had 50 with half of the 3rd quarter left and 60 by the 8 minute mark of the 4th. But suddenly, he went cold… like really cold.

Minnesota Timberwolves lose to hapless Hornets

And when that happened, it was as if the Timberwolves offense had forgotten how to score points without him. Anthony Edwards went 3-for-11 from the floor and finished with just 9 points, though he did dish out 11 assists.

Before you knew it, the 9-win Hornets went from being down 18 points in the 2nd half… to 10… then 5 points… 1… Finally, with just under four minutes left to play, Charlotte hit a corner three that gave them a 120-119 lead, one they wouldn’t surrender.

Related: Are Minnesota Timberwolves on Pace for Best Season in Franchise History?

It was tight the rest of the way but the Wolves couldn’t couldn’t climb back on top. Chris Finch gave the ball to KAT for the final shot. He drove in, was fouled, but it wasn’t called. When the buzzer rang, Minnesota suffered probably their worst loss of the season a 128-125 failure that wasted KAT’s historic night.

In retrospect, Monday was a perfect reflection of Karl’s time in Minnesota. When the Timberwolves are KAT’s team, no matter how well he plays, they aren’t very good.

The NBA draft is just three days away (November 18th) and the Minnesota Timberwolves still have the same offseason puzzle pieces that they walked away with on lottery night. The value of the #1 overall pick is much lower than in other years so, if Rosas and Co. want to make a deal, they might have settle for something less than a blockbuster.

If that’s the route the Wolves go, the Charlotte Hornets are the perfect fit for a draft week trade. The Hornets pick #3 overall, two spots behind the Wolves, but they may need to move up to get the guy they want.

Hornets Want Wiseman

The guy Charlotte wants is reportedly James Wiseman, the Memphis big man who some consider to be the most talented player in this class. The Warriors, who pick #2 overall, are expected to take Wiseman if he is still available. Wiseman is drawing comparisons to Myles Turner and even Anthony Davis.

Wiseman refused to meet or workout with Minnesota because he doesn’t see himself as a fit next to KAT. In order for Charlotte to acquire him, though, they have to jump the Warriors. Here is what a trade would look like if the Wolves and Hornets swap the #1 and #3 picks.

This rumor that the #Hornets are willing to trade up to No. 1 to get James Wiseman is gaining some steam … seems like a good deal for the #Wolves, who still would get Ball/Edwards at No. 3, plus some other assets (maybe Miles Bridges, plus some)

— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) November 10, 2020

Timberwolves trade the #1 overall pick to the Hornets for the #3 pick and Miles Bridges.

This is just the major building blocks of what this trade would look like. The finer details would still need to be worked out and more pieces would be on the move. The rest could include a second round pick or a number of different role players from either team.

In this scenario, the Hornets get their guy, in James Wiseman, and the Wolves pick up a nice young asset, in Miles Bridges. Rosas still gets one of the draft’s “big 3” (Ball, Edwards, Wiseman).

Miles Bridges Numbers

Bridges averaged 30 minutes per game last season, scored 13 points and added 5.6 rebounds per game. In his Sophomore NBA season, his numbers went up with more playing time but his percentages all went down.

If Minnesota can’t make a big trade by Wednesday then a smaller deal with the Hornets would make sense. Continue to acquire assets like Bridges, but stay in the top-3. That sounds like a Gerrson Rosas move.

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan