With less than a week to go before training camp, the Knicks and Timberwolves are closing in on a trade that will send Minnesota star big man Karl-Anthony Towns to New York, per Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic . In return, Minnesota would receive forward Julius Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo, per the report. Other players and assets could be involved.
Reports surfaced in July that the Knicks had a strong interest in Towns, who played for New York coach Tom Thibodeau when Thibodeau coached the Timberwolves. Also, Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Towns’ agent when Rose ran CAA. Towns averaged 21.
8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.
7 steals and 0.7 blocks for the Timberwolves in 2023-24 while shooting 50.4% from the field, 41.
6% from beyond the arc and 87.3% from the free-throw line. A four-time All-Star, Towns has career averages of 22.
9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.
8 steals and 1.3 blocks. He was the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky.
Towns, who has made two All-NBA teams, signed a four-year, $221 million extension in July 2022. He will make $49.4 million next season.
Towns and Anthony Edwards have massive extensions kicking in next season and Rudy Gobert is slated to make max money as well. Towns or Gobert have to be traded for the Timberwolves to avoid paying a huge luxury tax bill under the new CBA. New York, of course, already made one big move this offseason, acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Nets.
If they do .
