Karl-Anthony Towns appeared genuinely taken aback after learning he had been traded on an ordinary Friday night. Late on Friday, the news broke that the Minnesota Timberwolves had made the decision to trade their four-time All-Star and longest-tenured player to the New York Knicks.
In return, the Timberwolves are receiving a package that includes another former All-Star big man and a former NBA champion, signaling a significant roster shift for the team.
Before the news became public, Towns posted a cryptic message on his X (formerly Twitter) account, which many believe hinted that he was already aware of the trade.
The post was a simple ellipsis (“…”), often used to convey a sense of speechlessness or disbelief. The timing of this post—just minutes before the trade was officially reported—added fuel to the speculation that Towns might have had prior knowledge of the deal.
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Seeing Minnesota trade away their homegrown star mere months after reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades is a shocking turn of events for many fans. However, there had been ongoing concerns about Towns’ fit alongside Rudy Gobert in the Timberwolves’ frontcourt.
The emergence of Naz Reid, who won Sixth Man of the Year last season, also gave Minnesota a strong fallback option at the center position, potentially easing the decision to part ways with Towns.
For the Knicks, acquiring Towns is the culmination of months of trade rumors linking the All-Star to New York. The Knicks are coached by Tom Thibodeau, Towns’ former coach during his early years in Minnesota, which likely influenced the move.
With Isaiah Hartenstein departing in free agency and Mitchell Robinson still recovering from ankle surgery, Towns is expected to step into the starting center role in New York—a position that had become more complicated for him in Minnesota due to the presence of Gobert and Reid.
This trade marks a new chapter in Towns’ career, one that comes with a mix of surprise and opportunity as he transitions from being the face of the Timberwolves to a key piece in the Knicks’ future ambitions.
