D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are known to have a tight-knit relationship dating back to their high school days, so it’s no surprise to see the guard heap praise on his former Timberwolves teammate whenever he gets the chance. The newest Brooklyn Net brought up his friend’s recent dominance while hosting his now-former teammate, Austin Reaves, on his podcast.
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Reaves discussed his ugly final bucket in a contest against the Sacramento Kings, which he described as a “throw at the rim” following a disjointed crossover move. His description of the sequence prompted D’Lo to recall how Towns would shoot in a similar fashion. Following the friendly jab, though, Russell and Reaves quickly segued to lauding Towns’ production in New York this season.
Reaves started by commenting on how the big man “fried” his recent opponent, prompting Russell to show more love to the newest Knick. “[Towns was] Cooking bro. I talked to him too, that’s a funny dude, he don’t give a f***, either,” the 28-year-old said, “[Towns] in New York, he’s big up… and he going to sign for the big boy.”
The four-time All-Star is already set to make a whopping $49 million thanks to his last extension in Minnesota, so the statement confused Reaves initially. But Russell clarified that KAT’s excellent play will earn him another massive extension, this time from the Knicks. “No, I’m talking about in New York, extendo, big bodega!” Russell continued.
Towns, now 29 years old, does have two more years on his deal before a $61 million player option in 2027-28. Still, the big man’s All-NBA level production has led Russell to claim that KAT will be able to sign another multi-year deal, possibly as a 32-year-old.
KAT’s massive contract played a key role in the offseason trade
The Knicks are sitting pretty at 24-10 and third in the Eastern Conference right now, so it’s likely deep in the back of the team’s mind, but eventually, the franchise will have to pay up big if they hope to retain KAT’s services in the future. New York will have a tough decision to make regarding the nine-year veteran, a decision the Timberwolves didn’t want to make for themselves.
The Timberwolves appear to be on the losing end of their offseason trade with the Knicks, as Julius Randle has struggled to gel with his new teammates. However, Minnesota didn’t make the trade because the team thought they were getting superior talent. They did it in order to avoid paying out Towns’ remaining $220 million and the supermax extension that could follow.
That doesn’t mean that was the right decision for the Timberwolves, though, as the Knicks would likely be elated to shell out a max contract for their most talented center since Patrick Ewing. Towns is currently second in the NBA in rebounds and ranks 11th in per-game scoring, proving he can do it all for a contending team. KAT’s hot start to his tenure may be enough to convince the Knicks’ front office that he’s worth keeping around for the long haul.
