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The trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo caught nearly everyone off guard. Trades often catch fans, as well as the players included, by surprise. However, Towns' story was different.
Players usually find out that they've been traded via call or, sometimes, through social media. However, it was a different experience for Towns.
On the "Roommates Show," Jalen Brunson asked Towns who called him first to inform him.
"I didn't get called," Towns replied. "Tim [Connelly] told me to my face that I was traded."
Towns said the Timberwolves president, Connelly, personally came to his house to break the news. Something that Towns respects him for.
Karl-Anthony Towns was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the first overall pick in 2015. The first nine seasons of his career were played in Minnesota, where he earned some awards.
He won the Rookie of the Year award after he averaged 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He was named to four All-Star teams (2018. 2019, 2022, 2024) and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team twice (2018, 2022).
The Timberwolves made the playoffs four times during his stint there. Once in 2018 under coach Tom Thibodeau and then three straight times from 2022-24 under Chris Finch.
Towns played a major role in getting the Timberwolves to only their second Conference Finals appearance last season. The first and only other time this happened was in 2004.
In nine seasons with the Timberwolves, he averaged 22.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg and 1.3 bpg.
Karl-Anthony Towns thought he was going to play his entire career in Minnesota
Players who stick with the same franchise for their careers are rare in the NBA. Stars like Magic Johnson, John Stockton, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki are part of a rarified company, and Karl-Anthony Towns had hoped to join them.
Towns admitted this during his guest episode on the "Roommates Show" with his new teammates Jalen Brown and Josh Hart. He said he thought he would call Minnesota home for his whole career. However, this trade changed that.
Despite the sudden change, Towns said he could contribute to doing something special for New York.
Typically, players remain with the team that drafted them if they're consistently winning. However, this was not the case for Towns and the Wolves. Before the emergence of Anthony Edwards and the trade for Rudy Gobert, the Wolves struggled to earn a spot in the playoffs.
