Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on against the Charlotte Hornets in the second quarter at Target Center on January 22, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota (David Berding / Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Timberwolves open training camp next week, and they made a blockbuster trade Friday night.
According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski with The Athletic, the Timberwolves are trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first round pick.
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Why it matters
Towns was drafted No. 1 overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and has spent nine seasons in Minnesota. He’s the team’s best player other than Anthony Edwards, and one of the faces of the franchise. It appears Towns himself was caught by surprise, according to his reaction on social media Friday night.
Towns helped lead the Timberwolves to their best regular season in 20 years this past season, and their first run to the Western Conference Finals in two decades. He’s a four-time NBA All-Star and was the Rookie of the Year in 2015. He averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, while being one of the best perimeter shooting big men in the league.
Towns is starting the first year of a four-year, $220 contract extension this season. The Timberwolves posted video of Towns working out at Mayo Clinic Square earlier this week. He never once asked for a trade out of Minnesota despite semi-consistent rumors during several offseasons that he was on the trading block. Towns is originally from New Jersey, and will now play for former Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau and front office head Gersson Rosas, who both work with the Knicks.
What it means
The Timberwolves open training camp next week and hold media day on Monday. It means Anthony Edwards is the face of the franchise, if he wasn’t already. Randle and DiVincenzo will have to work their way into the rotation and find a fit with Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley Jr., Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid.
Tim Connelly continues to show he's not afraid to make bold moves. He traded five draft picks and four players to the Utah Jazz to get Rudy Gobert, who won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth time this past season.
The team has not confirmed the Towns' trade.