Karl-Anthony Towns was long considered the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise, but in 2024, the landscape of the Eastern Conference shifted when the star center moved to the New York Knicks. Given how deeply he had connected with fans in Minneapolis, it was a significant change. A year later, he reflects on his move to the Big Apple.
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KAT’s trade to the Knicks, in all fairness, came out of the blue. It was a three-team deal, also involving the Hornets, with Minnesota, the team that drafted him No. 1 in 2015, getting Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a top-13 protected first-round pick in return. Was it a win-win? Well, that question can only be answered once either side makes it to the NBA Finals. So far, the best both have achieved is a trip to the Conference Finals.
Keeping this “balanced” trade aside, Towns showed love to the Wolves family, but also admitted to being disappointed at being shipped away. In a conversation with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, he echoed the sentiment: You never forget your first.
“Minnesota was amazing,” Towns said, before recalling his best days with the team, which also included a Conference Finals appearance in 2024. “The Timberwolves treated me with nothing but love and respect. To have those years there, and finally see success happening with our team there, it was awesome. The fans appreciated it a bunch.”
That said, when Towns got to know that he was being traded, he was hurt. Of course, New York is a much bigger city and a much, much bigger franchise than the Timberwolves. But as far as the 29-year-old was concerned, he was being kicked out of his home.
“I’ve built my life there, I’ve had so many memories there. So, it’s kind of like that first breakup. It was tough,” Towns added, although he did acknowledge that being traded to the Knicks made the situation a little better.
It was a bittersweet moment. Sweet because, well, it was the Knicks, probably the most iconic sports team in the U.S. Bitter, because of how he had just four minutes to himself before the world went gaga over the trade.
On a podcast with Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, Towns was asked about the minutes leading up to when he learned about his future. “By the time the shock wore off, Shams had already tweeted,” he answered.
Because of how much KAT meant to the Timberwolves organization, President Tim Connelly delivered the news to him in person, unlike most franchises, which typically inform departing players over a call. “I respect it. Honestly, it’s a tough situation regardless of what would’ve happened. The fact that it happened that way, I got to give him respect.”
