Timberwolves Waive Ex-Knicks F From Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived brief New York Knicks Keita Bates-Diop, who came over in the deal headlined by Karl-Anthony Towns.

Oct 18, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts while being defended by Washington Wizards forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. (7) during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Minnesota Timberwolves will waive forward Keita Bates-Diop, a brief New York Knick.

While Bates-Diop did not play any games for either New York or Minnesota, the 28-year-old forward is set to be a bit of a unique footnote in Knicks history: he originally came to the Knicks in the deal hat acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and he was later included in the more recent barter that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to Manhattan.

Bates-Diop, a second-round pick of Minnesota's out of Ohio State in 2018, played 53 games between Phoenix and Brooklyn last season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds. He played two games with the Timberwolves, scoring 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go with five rebounds.

Even with Bates-Diop gone, Minnesota will have plenty of former metropolitan representation on its opening day roster: the Towns deal was headlined by the departure of starters Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle while Minnesota also obtained the Knicks' first-round pick in 2025.

The Timberwolves face the Knicks in the first of two annual meetings in December. In the meantime, the defending Western Conference finalists open their season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, tipping off hours after the Knicks face the Boston Celtics (10 p.m. ET, TNT).

Make sure you bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Thornton Birthday Bash Fuels Liberty Title
• Sabally Becomes Liberty's Unexpected Heroine
• Brunson Takes Blame For Hart's Struggle
• Liberty Win Game 5, 1st WNBA Title
• Knicks Announce First 2024-25 Roster