The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round draft pick. This trade is significant for both teams, according to a source who spoke on Friday night.
The source talked to The Associated Press anonymously because the trade had not been finalized yet. This trade was first reported by The Athletic. Towns is a four-time All-Star entering his 10th season and is known as one of the best shooting big men in the NBA.
He never showed any signs of unhappiness with the Timberwolves, the team that picked him first overall in 2015, even during some tough years before last spring’s run to the Western Conference finals.
He is active in the Twin Cities community, willing to let young star Anthony Edwards take the lead, and has adjusted well to playing as a stretch power forward since the Timberwolves acquired center Rudy Gobert two years ago.
Towns did not seem to expect this trade just three days before training camp begins.
In an interview with the AP earlier this week about a youth center he is helping to build in the Dominican Republic, where his late mother, Jackie, was from, Towns expressed excitement about the upcoming season and Minnesota’s prospects after their strong performance last season, which ended in a five-game loss to Dallas in the conference finals.
“We showed our merit last season,” Towns said. “We showed our growth, and I think more importantly we showed maturity. We found a way to show we belonged. I’m just so proud of what we were able to do last year.
We’re not going to be surprising anyone. I think we’ve shown that we’re a team that you definitely have to take into consideration. When you see us on the calendar, you’ve got to bring your best.”
The Wolves will definitely need to bring their best on December 19 when they host the Knicks. Minnesota will also play an exhibition game in New York on October 13 and a regular season game at Madison Square Garden on January 17.
On Friday night, Towns posted an ellipsis on the social media platform X without saying anything else.
Towns grew up in Minnesota and started his career at age 19. He played under five head coaches and had seven different leaders in basketball operations during his nine seasons with the Wolves. The man who drafted him from Kentucky, Flip Saunders, passed away from cancer just four months later.
In 2018, Towns got caught in a conflict with former teammate and fellow All-Star Jimmy Butler, who asked for a trade after one season and used harsh methods to leave.
More recently, Towns dealt with injuries, including a strained calf that kept him to just 29 games in the 2022-23 season. His mother also passed away from COVID-19 complications in 2020, which was a personal struggle for him.
On the bright side, the 7-footer is returning to his roots since he grew up in New Jersey. He will also reunite with coach Tom Thibodeau, who spent 2.5 seasons with Minnesota after being hired in Towns’ second year.
Minnesota’s president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, has never shied away from making bold decisions, as shown by his major move to acquire Gobert. This trade is even bigger, as the Wolves aim to make it further in the playoffs while the top teams in the West continue to be strong.
The Wolves are getting a three-time All-Star power forward in Randle, along with a sharpshooter in DiVincenzo, who just had his best season, and a first-round draft pick to help balance out some of the draft picks they traded to Utah for Gobert.
Randle’s health will be important to watch during the preseason. He had shoulder surgery in April and missed New York’s playoff run to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Knicks said Randle would be re-evaluated in five months. When asked last week if Randle would be fully ready for training camp, Thibodeau said, “Uh, yeah, I think so.”
With Edwards recently getting a maximum contract extension, and the addition of Gobert along with other costly commitments, the Wolves with Towns were heading toward the second apron of the luxury tax, which comes with strict rules under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Their ownership situation is also uncertain, as longtime owner Glen Taylor is trying to stop a lengthy sale to partners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, which is set for arbitration later this year.
With the Knicks, Towns can return to his original center position and fill an important need. Mitchell Robinson will be out for at least two months as he recovers from ankle surgery, and Isaiah Hartenstein signed with Oklahoma City this summer.
This was the only weak spot on a strong roster led by All-Star Jalen Brunson.
