Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Karl-Anthony Towns 'still processing' blockbuster trade

By Sai Mohan | Last updated Sep 28, 2024 6:56 AM ET

After spending the first nine years of his career with the Timberwolves, Karl-Anthony Towns was abruptly shipped off to the Knicks on Friday night in a blockbuster trade involving Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

Barely moments before the trade was announced, Towns posted a cryptic message on X that seemingly hinted at his unhappiness over the transaction.

A little later, several insiders disclosed some details on KAT's mindset. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Towns is "still processing" the trade, per a source close to the four-time All-Star. However, Towns has taken solace in knowing that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, whom he previously played for in Minnesota, has been very complimentary of the big man in recent years.

Shelburne added that Towns was in the gym Friday before the Timberwolves training camp and was eager to build on the team's Western Conference Finals run a year ago. The insider highlighted how the trade reunites Towns with coach Thibodeau and his former agent, Leon Rose.

Towns, of course, is from New Jersey and used to be represented by Knicks President Leon Rose. There’s a lot of homecoming to this story, but Towns was in the gym today in Minnesota preparing to build off last season’s WC Finals run.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) September 28, 2024

It's worth pointing out that Towns, a native of New Jersey, grew up a Knicks fan and considers Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier as his favorite players from the storied franchise. As such, Towns could eventually embrace the move to New York as it could be the homecoming he didn't know he needed.

Moreover, The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski noted that Towns never requested a trade from the Timberwolves in his nine years with the franchise.

One thing to be clear on tonight: KAT did not request this trade. He never has requested a move in nine years here.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) September 28, 2024

Krawczynski's reporting shouldn't be a shock considering how complimentary KAT was of the Timberwolves franchise, specifically of blossoming superstar Anthony Edwards. Last season, Towns essentially took a backseat to Edwards and anointed the younger player, the new face of the NBA.

In earlier interviews, Towns expressed his intention to remain in Minnesota for his entire career, following in the footsteps of the great Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, who spent all their years with one team.

Towns finishes his Timberwolves career with 13,121 points and 6,216 rebounds from 573 games. Those numbers make him the second-highest points scorer in franchise history behind Kevin Garnett. The sharpshooting big man signs off as Minnesota's all-time leader in three-point field goals.

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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