Karl-Anthony Towns returned home on Friday, Sept. 28, after the first day of the Timberwolves’ training camp. He was happy to reunite with his teammates and thought they had a chance to build something special after reaching the Conference Finals the previous season. Barely hours later, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he had been traded to the Knicks, sending shockwaves across the basketball world.
So, when exactly did Towns learn of his trade?
In an interview with his new Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Towns revealed the frantic moments that led to him learning about the trade.
“Four minutes,” KAT told “The Roommates Show” when asked how long before Charania’s tweet he learned of his trade. “By the time the shock wore off, Shams had already tweeted.”
Towns revealed that Timberwolves president Tim Connelly visited him in his house in Minnesota to inform him of the trade.
“He told me to my face that I was traded,” Towns said of Connelly. “That was a gangster move, not gonna lie. Honestly, it’s a tough situation, regardless of what would have happened. But the fact that it happened that way, I have to give him respect, because it was me, three of my closest friends, and my pops, so shout out to him. He came to the house by himself with five dudes there who could have started spazzing out [laughs] and crashed out. But we said, ‘Alright’ so I gotta give him respect.”
Later in the interview, Towns said he thought he was “going to retire” as a member of the Timberwolves, but his “former employer did not agree” with that sentiment. He said the move was a gentle reminder to himself and other NBA players that the league is a business, and there’s no room for sentimentality or emotions.
After spending the first nine seasons of his career in Minnesota, Towns will don New York colors starting with the 2024-25 season. His new team will travel to Minnesota for a road game on Dec. 19, which should no doubt be a monumental night for Towns and the Timberwolves fanbase. The Timberwolves are expected to welcome the seven-footer with a much-deserved tribute video.
