Karl-Anthony Towns signed his rookie extension in July 2019, almost a year after Jimmy Butler infamously stormed out of practice and forced his way out of the Twin Cities. Butler was upset that the Wolves had paid Towns, who he felt had a nonchalant attitude toward winning.
After that practice, Minnesota gave in and traded Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. In doing so, they fully committed to Towns. And Towns committed himself to Minnesota.
“I thought when you were in Minnesota, you would have less opportunities. I’ve seemed to have only grown with my opportunities,” Towns said after signing. “The idea of it being because of my market or where I’m at is a false narrative that’s written by people who want to keep big cities’ talent pool larger than others. It’s just not true.
“We’re in a digital age. Talent is talent wherever you are. We find it through social media and the markets and the companies know who they want to work with. It doesn’t matter where.”
On Friday night, the Timberwolves traded Towns to the New York Knicks in a package for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
The New York City rumor mill had long connected Towns to the Knicks. It seemed like fate that he would end up back home. Towns grew up in New Jersey, and the Wolves were dysfunctional. Many of Minnesota’s best players had historically ended up in bigger markets.
New York’s rumor mill suggested Towns would force his way to Madison Square Garden following the Butler drama in 2018. It kicked into full gear when the Knicks hired Towns’ former agent, Leon Rose, as their team president.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is as untouchable as they come,” Rosas told ESPN in response. “He’s the best player on our team and he’s the guy we’re building around. Everything we do is to help him become the best player and to help us become the best team we can be. He’s a special talent that we’re going to do anything possible to help him achieve his highest potential.”
Towns wanted to stay in Minnesota because it had become his home. However, he also believed they’d eventually achieve stability. Flip Saunders had passed away before his rookie year, and the Wolves spiraled. Glen Taylor and Kevin Garnett had an ownership dispute after Saunders’ death. They dishonorably fired Sam Mitchell. Tom Thibodeau brought in Butler, who disrespected Towns.
He had played with the old Andrew Wiggins–Zach LaVine core and the TimberBulls. In 2018, he signed a five-year, $190 million supermax extension, hoping things would calm down around him.
“I’m glad to have stability,” Towns said. “I know who my head coach is and who my president is. Some of it was just ownership making decisions. Some of it is things we can’t control in life in losing Flip.
“The way the business is, this is just how business works in the league. It’s unforgiving. It’s not fair. It’s never been fair. I know that first-hand. I’ve got to go out there and just continue to compete at a high level and do my part.”
However, Towns didn’t immediately experience stability. The Wolves fired Thibodeau in the middle of the 2019 season and hired Ryan Saunders. In 2021, Rosas inherited Saunders and fired him after a 103-99 loss to the Knicks, which dropped them to 7-24. He immediately hired Chris Finch. A year later, the Timberwolves dismissed Rosas after he had an affair with another employee.
Rosas had championed Towns. He relentlessly pursued D’Angelo Russell, knowing he was close friends with Towns. However, Rosas drafted Anthony Edwards first overall in 2020, and Edwards became Minnesota’s franchise player.
The Timberwolves’ ownership situation could be disruptive next year, but Tim Connelly has brought stability to Minnesota. After his blockbuster trade for Rudy Gobert, he built a team that beat the Denver Nuggets in seven games. As a result, the Wolves advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.
“Thank you Minnesota,” Towns posted after the Dallas Mavericks beat them in the Western Conference Finals. “We’ll be back.”
The Timberwolves are as stable as they have been since drafting Towns. They are finally a winner. They also were spending more on their roster than any other team and are building around Edwards, not Towns. The move itself makes sense. Still, it’s ironic that to build a contending roster, he sent the superstar who championed Minnesota to New York City.
