NBA Rumors: Latest on Karl-Anthony Towns' Injury, James Harden Trade, More

The 2020-21 NBA season is in full swing, with all 30 teams hoping to get out of the blocks quickly in this slightly shortened campaign.

Unfortunately, some clubs are already beset by injuries. The Golden State Warriors were already without star shooting guard Klay Thompson. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been a bit banged up, and Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard needed stitches after taking an elbow to the jaw.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are also dealing with injuries, though the outlook is a little more optimistic there.

Here is the latest on Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, in addition to the latest on the James Harden trade saga and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins' impending free agency.

Timberwolves Encouraged by Towns' Timeline

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Karl-Anthony Towns had been overwhelmingly healthy in his first three seasons, but injuries have hit the 2015 No. 1 overall pick hard in recent years. 

Towns played just 35 games during the 2019-20 season due to an assortment of injuries, with a fractured wrist ending his season last February. The former Kentucky star suffered another wrist injury on Saturday against the Utah Jazz, though it seems he avoided anything overly serious.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Towns sustained a dislocated left wrist on Saturday. However, the injury will not require surgery, with Wojnarowski adding there is "optimism" the 25-year-old should be back on the floor in fairly short order.

Towns was dominant in the season opener against the Detroit Pistons last week, scoring 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line while also racking up 11 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.

Although he struggled to shoot the ball in Minnesota's win over the Jazz this past weekend, Towns was every bit as impactful when on the floor. Towns had four blocks to go along with his 16 points and 12 rebounds, finishing with a plus-mins of +11 for the contest.

Minnesota had no answers without Towns in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

The Lakers, who were without Anthony Davis, outscored the Timberwolves in the paint, with veteran center Marc Gasol establishing himself as one of the Purple and Gold's best and most versatile playmakers. Without Towns, the Timberwolves sorely lacked the kind of floor-spacing and unselfish playmaking Gasol gave the Lakers.

Minnesota faces a tough task in the Western Conference, one that grows more ominous for every game Towns misses. The Timberwolves will hope to have the All-Star center back on the court relatively soon. 

Rockets Holding out for Better Harden Offers

Steve Dykes/Associated Press

There are two sides of the James Harden trade saga, at least from the Houston Rockets' perspective.

On the one hand, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported the Rockets are hoping to "move on as quickly as possible." Simultaneously, Harden is one of the best players in the league, and Houston is not going to pull the trigger on a deal it deems unfair.

Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Rockets do have a bit of urgency in attempting to deal "The Beard," but they have yet to receive any offers they deem suitable. Wojnarowski added Houston hopes those offers might improve now that the season has started.

If Harden were holding anything back, he certainly did not show it Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The former league MVP poured in 44 points and added 17 assists in a narrow overtime loss. Harden is still cutting it all loose, though it remains to be seen just how much longer he will do so in a Rockets jersey.

The Trail Blazers are one of the teams that have reportedly been added to Harden's list of preferred destinations, per Sam Amick and Kelly Iko of The Athletic, as are the Boston Celtics. Those teams join the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat among the squads linked with Harden.

Jason Quick of The Athletic reported Portland's level of interest is unknown, though Harden has formed a relationship with current Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey.

It could make for an interesting partnership given Portland could (and almost certainly would) offer CJ McCollum in a deal, though Quick noted Olshey has previously indicated he has no desire to split up the backcourt of McCollum and Damian Lillard.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are also pretty set at the 2-guard with Jaylen Brown, not to mention Jayson Tatum's presence on the wing.

Regardless of what teams Harden has on this list, the Rockets have no intention of moving him until they obtain a return they deem fit.

Collins Turned Down Extension Offer

Brandon Dill/Associated Press

The Atlanta Hawks did not extend forward John Collins prior to the Dec. 21 deadline for rookie extensions, though this was more a case of the former Wake Forest product betting on himself.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported the Hawks offered Collins over $90 million, but the 23-year-old held firm on wanting something closer to the max. Collins will now enter restricted free agency this upcoming summer.

There were some questions as to what Collins' role would be after the Hawks signed Danilo Gallinari in free agency, though general manager Travis Schlenk confirmed Gallinari would be the backup to Collins at the power forward spot.

Schlenk's comments seemed to open the door for the Hawks to extend Collins, if they so chose. But Collins is hoping for a larger payday, with good reason.

The 2017 first-round pick is coming off a season during which he averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while also shooting over 30 percent from beyond the arc on 3.6 attempts per game. Collins expanded his game, and his tremendous athleticism (paired with the shooting) would likely make him a valued asset in free agency.

It should be interesting to see how the Hawks manage the frontcourt situation with Gallinari and Collins, as well as Collins' usage. He played just over 18 minutes in a blowout win over the Chicago Bulls before playing over 27 minutes against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.