Karl-Anthony Towns has been traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks, the Wolves announced Wednesday. The Wolves, who reached the Western Conference finals in the spring, where they were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks, receive in exchange another All-Star interior, Julius Randle, as well as guard Donte DiVincenzo and winger- strong Keita Bates-Diop.
This exchange comes as a surprise as Towns (28 years old), face of his franchise, was drafted in No. 1 by the Wolves in 2015, playing nine seasons with Minnesota, for four selections in the All-Star Game. The team impressed in the play-offs last year by sweeping Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns (4-0) then defeating 2023 champion Denver in the conference semi-finals (4-3).
With winger Anthony Edwards and French pivot Rudy Gobert, the Wolves are title candidates for the next season which begins on October 22, but will have to find a new balance without “KAT”, a tall interior capable of shooting by far (21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3 assists on average last season). “You will always hold a special place in my heart, thank you for everything” Towns wrote on his social networks to the franchise and its fans.
