The new NBA season is fast approaching and teams are working against the clock to improve their rosters. In this case, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to an All-Star trade involving star Karl-Anthony Towns.
In the last few hours, rumors have turned into confirmations and stars have started to move from one franchise to another. With the Wolves looking to add versatility to their roster and the Knicks looking to improve their offensive numbers, the two franchises have come to an agreement.
According to NBA insider Bobby Marks, the Timberwolves have acquired Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a 2025 first-round pick from the Knicks via Detroit. In return, the New York team will add four-time All-Star Towns, who played a key role in Minnesota’s elimination of Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets in last season’s playoffs.
Randle was also a three-time NBA All-Star Game selection, most recently in 2024, after a season in which he averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and five assists. Towns, meanwhile, was one of the main stars of the Timberwolves, a franchise he played for his entire career after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Karl-Anthony Towns finds a familiar face on the Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns will be partnered with Knicks star Jalen Brunson and led by head coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached him with the Minnesota Timberwolves between the 2016 and 2019 years. KAT and Thibodeau are two old acquaintances who can combine to give the New York franchise the edge in their quest to take the Eastern Conference title from the defending champions Boston Celtics.
In those three years, Towns averaged 23.0 points and 12.3 rebounds in just over 200 games. Furthermore, the trade is ideal for the Knicks, who were in need of offensive reinforcements following the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein and the injury to Mitchell Robinson.
How did Towns play last NBA season?
In the 2023-24 NBA season, Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 21 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3 assists, with an interesting 41.6 three-point percentage. The center reached the Western Conference Finals, where the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks.