Trading Karl-Anthony Towns was a massive blunder by the Timberwolves

Weeks before the start of the regular season, the Knicks and Timberwolves completed a blockbuster trade that sent Karl Anthony-Towns to the Big Apple in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a 2025 first-round pick.

The trade sent shockwaves around the league, as people began praising the Knicks' aggressive pursuit of an NBA championship. The blockbuster deal marked the second major acquisition of the offseason for New York, which traded a handful of first-round picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges in June.

"We are beyond excited to welcome Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks family," Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. "Karl-Anthony brings a skill set that is unique to the game of basketball. He possesses a blend of playmaking, shooting, rebounding and defending that in combination with his size allows him to compete at a level that is rare in this league."

While many deemed the trade as advantageous for New York, the motives were not as clear for the Timberwolves. After competing in the Western Conference Finals last season — their first conference finals berth in 20 years — many believed Minnesota would continue to build around the dynamic duo of Anthony Edwards and Towns. 

After all, the team did knock off Nikola Jokic and the defending champion Nuggets last season. Plus, the No. 3 seed swept the star-studded Suns in the first round, where Edwards famously chirped his on-court idol, Kevin Durant.

During their historic run to the Western Conference Finals, Towns averaged 19.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 16 playoff games for the Timberwolves.

By trading the talented big man to the Knicks, Minnesota essentially stifled its own momentum. So far this season, the team has struggled with scoring and rebounding — areas in which Towns thrives — ranking 22nd in points per game and 24th in rebounds.

Plus, as Towns enjoys an MVP-caliber year in New York, the trade looks even worse for Minnesota than in October. The Knicks star is averaging 24.9 points and 13.6 rebounds while draining a career-high 44.2% of his three-point attempts. The four-time All-Star has also recorded the second-most double-doubles (21) this season, trailing only Domantas Sabonis (22). 

Timberwolves legend and basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett expressed his disapproval of the trade in an episode of "KG Certified."

"Why hasn't anyone talked about that KAT trade? We haven't heard from Ant. How did that get swept under the rug?" Garnett said. "...Why did [Minnesota] make that trade instead of trading Rudy Gobert? [They] took a step back."

As Garnett laid out, the team has regressed this season. Without Towns, they simply aren't as dangerous as they were a season ago. After contending for a title as the No. 3 seed last year, this year's squad projects to be a play-in team, at best. 

The future is still bright in Minnesota as long as Edwards is the face of the franchise, but one can only imagine what may have been if they kept Towns for the remainder of his contract. 

As it stands, the trade looks like a massive oversight by the Timberwolves — one that essentially shut its short-term championship window.