Report: New York Knicks acquire Karl-Anthony Towns in trade with Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, per Shams Charania. The Timberwolves will receive Knicks forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via the Detroit Pistons.

Towns spent nine seasons with the Timberwolves. In the 2023-24 season, Towns averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc.

Boosted by Towns’ fantastic play, the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The Timberwolves ultimately fell short, losing 4-1 in a best-of-seven series against the Dallas Mavericks.

Now, the Timberwolves will look to take another leap with the additions of Randle and DiVincenzo. Randle only played in 46 games last season due to injury but he averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Meanwhile, DiVincenzo averaged 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest in the regular season while shooting 40.1% from beyond the arc. Further, DiVincenzo was key in the Knicks’ run to the East Conference Semifinals, averaging nearly 18 points per game in the postseason.

Towns will aim to provide similar success to budding Knicks squad. He certainly boasts an excellent résumé. Towns is a four-time NBA All-Star and a two-time All-NBA Third Team member. Moreover, he was the 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 2022 NBA 3-point Contest champion.

Towns has knocked 39.8% of his 3-point attempts in his career and considers himself the greatest perimeter-shooting big man of all time.

“I’m the greatest big man shooter of all time. That’s a fact,” Towns said an interview with The Athletic in 2021. “You can see the stats. I ain’t got to play like no one else.

“Everyone trying to find themselves to be the second version of me when I’m the first version. I don’t got to be the second version of someone else. I’m already an original. I don’t have to be a duplicate of someone else.”

Karl-Anthony Towns won’t be the only fresh face on the Knicks next season. The team also added former NBA All-Defensive Team member Mikal Bridges this offseason in a trade for Bojan Bogdanović, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, five future first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and a second-round pick.