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Knicks not interested in trading for center Karl-Anthony Towns

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated20 Jul 2023

New York Knicks not interested in trading for Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns

The New York Knicks are not entertaining any potential trade deals involving Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, per reports. The 6-foot-11 big man was Minnesota’s first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Towns, 27, was drafted by the Timberwolves following his freshman 2014-15 season with the University of Kentucky.

“According to league sources who have talked business with them, the Wolves have set a sky-high price on Towns, too. And according to another league source, in spite of what the constant speculation may tell you, the Knicks have not expressed any interest in trading for Towns,” wrote Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the New York Knicks hold 15th-ranked odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Sportsbooks are giving the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers better odds.

Has Karl-Anthony Towns regressed? The two-time All-NBA member made 74 starts with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2021-22 season. The three-time All-Star averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.1 blocks per game. Towns also shot 52.9% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc.

In Minnesota’s 149-139 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Mar. 14, 2022, Towns recorded a franchise record and career-high 60 points. He scored 32 points in the third quarter alone. The center finished 19-of-31 (61.3%) shooting from the floor and 7-for-11 (63.6%) from 3-point range.

New York Knicks have not expressed any desire to trade for Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns; Wolves’ asking price for the three-time All-Star is high

In the 2021-22 season, Towns finished eighth in field goals (642), 10th in total rebounds (727), ninth in true shooting percentage (64%), and 10th in player efficiency rating (24.1).

During the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in the Timberwolves’ 119-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 4, the center scored a playoff career-high 33 points.

Towns made only 29 appearances in the 2022-23 season due to a non-contact right calf injury he sustained during the third quarter of Minnesota’s 142-127 loss to the Washington Wizards on Nov. 28. A day later, the Timberwolves announced that Towns had suffered a Grade 2 calf strain.


He was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. However, in January 2023, he revealed that his injury was actually a Grade 3 strain, which requires at least two months to heal. When healthy, Towns averaged 20.8 points, a career-low 8.1 rebounds, a career-high 4.8 assists, and 33 minutes per game.

Fans could argue that Karl-Anthony Towns only had a down year this past season because of his calf injury. In July 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns signed a four-year, $224 million supermax extension with Minnesota. He’s projected to earn $36,016,200 in 2023-24 and $49,250,000 in 2024-25.

The Knicks are not betting their future on Towns. During the 2022 offseason, the Utah Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Leandro Bolmaro, Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt, a 2023 first-round draft pick, a 2025 first-round draft pick, a 2026 first-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

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