Sports
NBA Trade Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns' Availability Is 'Overblown' amid Knicks Buzz – Bleacher Report
Rumors continue to connect Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, but his availability in trade talks is reportedly “overblown,” per Matt Moore of the Action Network.
“There is a widespread belief that Towns is available in trade discussions, a claim that sources close to the Wolves continue to say is overblown, if not outright wrong,” Moore wrote.
That hasn’t stopped the Knicks from having interest in Towns, per Moore.
“The Knicks are interested in trading for Towns; their interest was first reported in preseason,” Moore wrote.
“Notably, Towns is repped by superpower agency CAA, which league sources consistently joke effectively runs the Knicks. Knicks President Leon Rose was a longtime agent with CAA, and the links to CAA have run through the organization for decades.”
Ultimately, it appears any trade talk on the matter is emanating from New York, not Minnesota.
“There is a feeling in league circles that aren’t involved with the Timberwolves or Knicks that this situation is largely being promoted from within New York,” Moore added.
The 28-year-old Towns, a three-time All-Star, has averaged 21.0 points and 9.3 rebounds in his ninth NBA season (all with the Timberwolves).
Minnesota is off to a great start at 8-3, good enough for third in the Western Conference right now. Anthony Edwards is emerging as a potential All-NBA talent with 26.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists in his fourth NBA season.
Edwards’ excellence has taken some pressure off Towns, who is in essence the 1B to Edwards’ 1A or the second option at this point. That’s not a bad thing by any means as the two have successfully co-led the Wolves to a great start.
In other words, it’s hard to see why Minnesota would want to trade Towns right now barring a prolonged skid that bumps the team down the standings. The Timberwolves’ campaign is just 11 games old, but they look fantastic right now. Keeping Towns aboard helps Minnesota maintain the core that delivered the great beginning.
Towns is about to earn big money from his four-year, $224 million supermax extension, which kicks in starting in 2024-25, per Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post.
In theory, that could hypothetically guide the Timberwolves’ thinking on a potential deal given how much they are on the hook for right now. But at this moment, everything appears copacetic in Minnesota, so a Towns deal doesn’t seem imminent to New York or anywhere else.