New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns looks on during warmups prior to game six of the eastern conference finals Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Karl-Anthony Towns Opens Up About Knicks Trade

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

It's been nearly a year since the New York Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Knicks sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick to the Wolves for Towns, shocking the league as they approached training camp. Towns spoke on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon" about the trade and how he felt at the time of the deal.

“Obviously it stung. I called that place home for nine years,” Towns said in his interview with Fallon.

“I’ve built my life there, I’ve had so many memories there. So, it’s kind of like that first breakup. It was tough.”

Towns was the No. 1 overall pick by the Wolves in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky and slowly became the franchise cornerstone for the team. While they reached the playoffs in 2018 with Jimmy Butler on Towns' side, the team struggled after he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers the following year.

The Wolves spiraled back down to the bottom of the league, allowing them to capture the No. 1 overall pick again in the 2020 NBA Draft, which they used to select Anthony Edwards. In four years' time, the Wolves made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. However, the Wolves still traded Towns after the season.

Despite the surprising trade, things have appeared to work out for both the Wolves and Knicks.

Towns was an All-Star last season with the Knicks and he helped them reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years with Jalen Brunson working alongside him. The Wolves also experienced some success, returning to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Ultimately, Towns isn't satisfied. He wants to do better for the Knicks and that could come with a little more time and chemistry.

Towns is a major part of the Knicks' plans for the future, so they need him to get better in order for his next Fallon interview to come after they win a championship.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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