Karl-Anthony Towns
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Just before the Minnesota Timberwolves started their 2024-25 NBA season president Tim Connelly made big waves. Chris Finch’s rotation got a significant makeover when Karl-Anthony Towns was sent to the New York Knicks. That brought both Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota.
Interestingly enough, Towns’ New York Knicks and his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammates both made the Conference Finals. Both groups came up short and were bounced prior to the NBA Finals.
As has been the case during his time with the Timberwolves, it didn’t take long for Towns to draw the ire of those around him. An immensely talented basketball player, his flaws have been consistent and constant for the duration of his career.
New York Knicks annoyed with Karl-Anthony Towns
On offense Karl-Anthony Towns is capable of scoring at every level. He’s one of the best shooting big men in NBA history. He has often complained about officiating to his own detriment, but it’s the motor and effort on defense that’s a problem.
It didn’t take the New York Knicks long to grow tired of those same shortcomings. Fans see Towns for 48 minutes a night, but his teammates weren’t impressed with what they saw either. James Edwards and Fred Katz outlined the reality in a recent report for The Athletic.
“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”
The Athletic
In two of the four losses against Indiana, Towns posted plus-minus numbers of -20 and -17. It’s an imperfect statistic on a single-game level, but defensive breakdowns and an inability to stop the Pacers scoring threats were evident for the New York big man.
It’s that effort, or lack thereof, that quickly lends itself to finger pointing. Towns did post a better 24.4 points per game this season, and his .42% three-point shooting was the second highest tally of his career. The effort and efficiency on the defensive end nullifies that performance in the locker room.
Towns was often seen as having a questionable motor while with the Minnesota Timberwolves. A lack of desire to join a new organization and quickly make a positive impact isn’t the look that an established veteran should ever be comfortable with.
Early trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns in New York
It remains to be seen how the Knicks will build moving forward. They came up just short against the Indiana Pacers and won 51 games this season. Karl-Anthony Towns was a part of that, but could also quickly be seen as a problem.
Trading KAT should be priority #1 for the Knicks.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 1, 2025
A trade of Towns is an eyebrow-raising suggestion from NBA Insider Kevin O’Connor. It’s not an outlandish sentiment though. He is a tough player to build around while leaving so much of his potential on the table. Head coach Tom Thibodeau already knew that from his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves though.
For Towns to actually be moved, an acquiring team would need to swallow cap hits of $53 and $57 million the next two seasons. He also has a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season when he’ll be 32 years old.
Related: Orlando Magic Could Target Minnesota Timberwolves Guard
These are the warts New York was going to take on with Towns when moving Randle and DiVincenzo. Minnesota has decisions to make on the players they brought in, but they are substantially less financially and motivationally impactful than what Towns has served up for the Knicks.
Mentioned in this article: Karl-Anthony Towns New York Knicks More About:Minnesota Timberwolves