Karl-Anthony Towns Appreciated Timberwolves Exec's Classy Gesture After Knicks Trade

Minnesota did not take its blockbuster transaction lightly.

Karl-Anthony Towns grabs a rebound while Richaun Holmes looks on. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded forward Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks on Oct. 2, it marked the end of an era in the Twin Cities.

For nine seasons, Towns had been a fixture with the Timberwolves for every up and down. Minnesota fans had seen him win Rookie of the Year, make four All-Star teams, and transform the Timberwolves into a consistent playoff contender.

To hear Towns tell it on the Roommates Show with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson and forward Josh Hart, when it was time to say goodbye, Minnesota made a point to do it the right way.

"I didn't get called. (Timberwolves president of basketball operations) Tim (Connelly) told me to my face that I was traded," Towns said in Friday's episode of the show. "It was gangster, I ain't gonna lie."

Karl-Anthony Towns says Timberwolves president Tim Connelly pulled up to his house, with his three friends and dad there, to inform him he had been traded

(🎥 @Roommates__Show / https://t.co/eqJzJ1DdDu) pic.twitter.com/TfVCiM6Jxc

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 18, 2024

Both Brunson and Hart signaled their respect to Connelly for the gesture.

"The fact that it happened that way, I got to give him respect," Towns said. "It was me, three of my closest friends, and my pops. Shout out to him. He came to a house by himself. ... I gotta give him respect for that for sure."

Basketball can be a brutal business, but the Timberwolves' dignified farewell to Towns shows that relationships can endure across organizations.

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