Towns processes trade to Knicks with late-night shooting session

Towns was at the Wolves facility at 3 a.m. getting shots up with his dad.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) makes a 3-point shot against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on May 28, 2024. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Karl-Anthony Towns was at the Timberwolves practice facility with his dad, Karl Sr., at 3 a.m. Saturday morning getting shots up, perhaps clearing his mind and soaking in nine years worth of memories.

Karl-Anthony Towns post a photo of him and Karl Sr. getting shots up at the Wolves’ practice facility. Looks like it was at 3 AM last night.

Damn… pic.twitter.com/p4EIM1fPDn

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) September 28, 2024

That was just hours after the news broke that the Timberwolves would be trading him to the New York Knicks for forwards Julius Randle and Keita Bates-Diop, guard Done DiVencenzo and a future first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons. It was a stunning trade after the Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals last season, Towns being a big reason behind the rise to the top.

Towns has spent his entire nine-year career with Minnesota, and he’s been through the ups and downs with the team. He endured five losing seasons, drama during the Jimmy Butler era and finally got to be there for the team’s ascension to a championship contender. All that time, he never requested a trade. But regardless, that’s how the Towns era in Minnesota comes to an end.

The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reported that Towns was “stunned” by the trade. It appears it wasn’t a move Towns was expecting, and perhaps not one he wanted. His immediate reaction in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, was simply “…”

The word from the Towns camp is this: “Stunned.”

Nine years with the Wolves. Impeccable in the community. All-Star and All-NBA. Now a New York Knick.

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) September 28, 2024

…

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024

Then at 3 a.m., Towns posted a photo of him getting shots up in the Wolves facility with his dad on his Instagram story, perhaps his last shootaround in downtown Minneapolis. There’s no doubt he was still processing the whirlwind of the last few hours that ultimately resulted in him being a New York Knick.

Towns has been a staple of the Timberwolves franchise and has been an important part of the community since he arrived in Minnesota. He's been through the highs and lows. Towns was a crucial part of bringing the Timberwolves back to relevancy. There's no question the last nine years hold a special place in Towns' heart, and he provided fans nine years of meaningful memories.

Now Towns begins a new chapter with the Knicks, but his contributions on and off the court in Minnesota certainly won't be forgotten. It's clear Towns won't forget them either.