Karl-Anthony Towns Reacts to Knicks Trade Rumors

The Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Karl-Anthony Towns reacted to trade rumors linking him to the New York Knicks before their preseason game October 14 at Madison Square Garden.

“I don’t really have time to think about that,” Towns said, according to The New York Post.

Towns is rumored to be one of three Knicks trade targets, according to an October 9 story by the Post’s Stefan Bondy. But Towns said his focus is on getting back to his All-Star form following an injury-plagued season and helping the Timberwolves make a deep playoff run in what could be an inflection point for the franchise.

But where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Towns fueled the fire when he revealed that he’d squashed his beef with current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.

“Two men grown men got together and had a conversation,” Towns said. “It was done. It was done years ago.”

In 2022, The Athletic reported that Towns pulled Thibodeau aside after a Timberwolves-Knicks games.

“I said, ‘I just want to let you know I forgive you.’ There’s no bad blood. One day, let’s just go get dinner. Let’s just chill. We don’t have to worry about the business side. Let’s just work on our relationship,” Towns told The Athletic in January 2022.

Tom Thibodeau Admires Karl-Anthony Towns Offensive Gifts

Fast-forward to the present, and it seems there’s no more trace of animosity in Towns’ heart when speaking about his former coach, who led Minnesota for three seasons starting in 2016.

“I got no problems with Thibs. We’ve been squashed that,” Towns said, according to the Post. “I still look at Thibs as one of the best Xs and Os coaches I’ve been able to play for. He breathes winning and I got nothing but respect for him.”

His comments came a day after Thibodeau spoke highly of his former player, who earned his first All-Star berth, in 2017-18, under his tutelage.

“Watching the progress he’s made throughout his career, he’s as gifted as they come,” Thibodeau said on Friday, according to the Post. “When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has — I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that — there’s nothing he can’t do offensively.”

Karl Anthony-Towns’ Strong Ties With Knicks

It’s not surprising that Towns has been linked to the Knicks.

After all, his former agent, Leon Rose, is now the Knicks president.

“They made multiple playoffs. [They] Made some good runs. [He] Brought hope and excitement to the Garden. I don’t think he’s done a bad job,” Towns said when asked about Rose, according tow via New York Post .

Towns’ strong ties with the Knicks organization don’t stop at Rose and Thibodeau.

The Knicks also have Gersson Rosas and Kaalya Chones, who forged strong relationships with Towns during their time in Minnesota.

Rosas, the former Timberwolves president, is now the Knicks’ senior vice president of basketball operations. Chones is the Knicks’ director of player development.

Towns is under contract with guaranteed money until the 2026-27 season. He has a $61.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season.

With Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels due for lucrative extensions, the Timberwolves will have some hard decisions to make, which could potentially involve Towns’ future.