The <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-possible-targets-for-celtics-to-bolster-roster-20230531-SPD-3666.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston Celtics</a> were the most heavily favored Eastern Conference team to go to the NBA Finals. But against the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, they were unable to pull off the upset.



Despite Jayson Tatum’s best efforts, his team lost. Some people think it’s time to split up Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart since neither has played up to expectations.



Obviously, it would only occur if they were able to acquire a player with All-Star potential. Even though there may not be many of them, we’ll examine three viable targets they might go for.



<h2>3. Karl-Anthony Towns</h2>



<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-top-3-most-likely-destinations-for-jaylen-brown-in-case-of-celtics-exit-20230526-SPD-3657.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karl-Anthony Towns</a> was out for a significant chunk of the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves undertook a risky experiment by putting him on the court alongside Rudy Gobert.



They haven’t been successful so far, and it doesn’t seem like they ever will. Due to their size disadvantage, the Celtics might benefit greatly from adding a shooter.



<h2>2. Damian Lillard</h2>



Many experts believe the Portland Trail Blazers will completely overhaul the team and trade All-Star point guard Damian Lillard or the No. 3 overall selection in order to build around Lillard. A third possibility is moving on from Lillard and starting over.



Keeping Jaylen Brown as their franchise player while trading away their aging star is a viable option for the Blazers.



<h2>1. Zach LaVine</h2>



The Chicago Bulls apparently worry that Lonzo Ball may never play professionally again. Marcus Smart is the ideal point guard and tough defender they’ve been looking for. They would have to use some fillers and draft choices, but they could accomplish it.



With Zach LaVine’s rocky relationship with Billy Donovan and the team’s lackluster core, the Bulls may be better off starting over. LaVine has been in a virtual dead heat with other groups throughout the course of the previous two seasons.

NBA: Top 3 possible All-Star targets for Celtics for next season - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA: Top 3 possible All-Star targets for Celtics for next season

miniaturas

Some of the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/luka-doncic-and-potential-mvp-candidates-of-2022-23-nba-season-20221110-SPD-3142.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NBA</a>‘s all-time greats have come from the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-steve-nash-reacts-to-being-fired-by-the-brooklyn-nets-20221101-SPD-3073.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forward position</a>, which isn’t the most prestigious one. Tim Duncan, an all-time great, has five NBA championship rings, but Karl Malone and Charles Barkley, both greats who never won a title despite being instrumental in their teams’ success, are also considered among the league’s all-time greats.



Even current legends like Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett have changed the power forward position by distinguishing out as excellent perimeter players with a polished offensive game. The old-school players, like Dolph Schayes, preferred to score from the paint and were quite efficient at it.



It’s safe to say that the new NBA’s finest team will perform well in its early seasons. Especially now that their teams are being divided up into smaller, athletic groups, only a select few of them will be able to switch places.



<h2>3. Karl-Anthony Towns</h2>



The Timberwolves believed otherwise, as seen by their signing of Rudy Gobert to play with Karl-Anthony Towns, and you shouldn’t either. From a strategic perspective, it’s not completely insane. While Gobert is one of the finest rim defenders in the game, Towns is recognized for his outside shooting despite his stature.



<h2>2. Zion Williamson</h2>



With just 85 games under his belt, Zion Williamson is likely a top 10 player in the NBA right now when he is in form and not in discomfort, as per NBA.com. His 2020-21 season showed that, because of his talent, stature, and athleticism, he has the potential to impact the NBA in the same way as Shaq did. If the Saints play to their greatest potential this season, they will soar to the top of the Western Conference.



<h2>1. Giannis Antetokounmpo</h2>



Giannis Antetokounmpo has led all power forwards for the last four or five years in a row, and he shows no signs of relinquishing that title. The 27-year-old had 10 games in 2021-22 in which he scored 40 or more points, including an explosion for 50 points against the Pacers on February 10 that was just two points short of his career best. 



He finished third in the MVP voting after previously winning the title twice. On New Year’s Day, he recorded 35 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Pelicans, one of his four triple-doubles.

Top 3 power forwards for 2022-23 NBA season

Top 3 power forwards for 2022-23 NBA season - thesportsdrops NEWS

<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-jazz-get-numerous-players-in-exchange-for-rudy-gobert-from-timberwolves-1924-20220701-SPD-1924.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karl-Anthony Towns</a> has agreed to an additional six-year contract deal with the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-rumors-jazzs-rudy-gobert-connected-to-timberwolves-despite-interest-from-bulls-1708-20220622-SPD-1708.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>, keeping him with the team until 2028. To say that the Timberwolves have made a substantial commitment is an understatement. 



Over the course of four seasons beginning in 2024-25, Towns will earn $224 million, after the $70 million he’s scheduled to earn in the next two seasons. A formal agreement was reached early on Friday morning. In accordance with NBA regulations, the two sides had to wait until midnight ET on July 1 to come to an agreement on a contract.



With the Minnesota club on the upswing, this was an easy decision to make. In 2021/22, when he was only 26 years old, Towns had a resurgence with the Timberwolves. The squad had been trapped in lottery-bound purgatory for three consecutive seasons previous to 2022, despite his stellar numbers.



<h2>What Karl-Anthony Towns thinks of staying with Timberwolves</h2>



While speaking with The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly hinted at this contract by telling him, “He’s special and deserves everything that is going to come his way.”



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">When asked about his contract status at the conclusion of the previous season, Towns was even more evasive: “I love this city, so obviously things will happen this summer. When they happen, they happen,” he said, mystifying what financially was a simple decision. “I’ve been here so long, I don’t like making prophecies. I’ll let it come if it comes. And if it comes, it comes, and then we will deal with it when it comes.”</blockquote>

Karl-Anthony Towns

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Top 3 power forwards for 2022-23 NBA season

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