Karl Anthony Towns' New Teammates Turn on Him After Playoff Exit
Just before the Minnesota Timberwolves started their 2024-25 NBA season, president Tim Connelly made big waves, trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and draft pick compensation.
Interestingly enough, both the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves made it all the way to the Conference Finals, before falling short. The Knicks lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers. The Wolves in five games to the OKC Thunder.
Advertisement
As was the case during his time in Minnesota, Towns has been a controversial player in the Big Apple. Some love KAT, others can't stand him. An immensely talented basketball player, Karl-Anthony Towns' flaws have been consistent and constant for most of his career.
New York Knicks annoyed with Karl-Anthony Towns
On offense, Karl-Anthony Towns is capable of scoring at every level. He's one of the best shooting big men in NBA history. On the other side, KAT's constant whining to officials and inconsistencies on defense have continued to haunt him.
It didn't take long for New York Knicks fans to grow tired of Karl's mannerisms and defensive deficiencies. But according to recent reports, his teammates weren't impressed with what they saw either. James Edwards and Fred Katz outlined the reality in a recent report for The Athletic.
'Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns' defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn't grasp the importance of the matter.'
The Athletic
Advertisement
In two of the four losses against Indiana, Towns posted plus-minus numbers of -20 and -17. It's an imperfect statistic on a single-game level, but defensive breakdowns and an inability to stop the Pacers scoring threats were evident for the New York big man.
It's that effort, or lack thereof, that quickly lends itself to finger pointing. Towns did post a better 24.4 points per game this season, and his .42% three-point shooting was the second highest tally of his career. The effort and efficiency on the defensive end nullifies that performance in the locker room.
Early trouble for Karl-Anthony Towns in New York
It remains to be seen how the Knicks will build moving forward. They came up just short against the Indiana Pacers and won 51 games this season. Karl-Anthony Towns was a part of that, but could also quickly be seen as a problem.
A trade of Towns is an eyebrow-raising suggestion from NBA Insider Kevin O'Connor. It's not that outlandish though. He is a tough player to build around, and there are major questions surrounding his ability to be a major contributor on an NBA Finals caliber team.
Advertisement
Head coach Tom Thibodeau already knew that from his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves though, so he must believe. For Towns to actually be moved, an acquiring team would need to swallow cap hits of $53 and $57 million the next two seasons. He also has a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season, when he'll be 32 years old.
Related: Orlando Magic Could Target Minnesota Timberwolves Guard
These are the warts New York was going to take on with Towns when moving Randle and DiVincenzo. Minnesota has decisions to make on the players they brought in, but they are substantially less financially and motivationally impactful than what Towns has served up for the Knicks.
Related Headlines
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
27 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Times, they are a changin': Thunder vs. Pacers Finals highlights generational change sweeping NBA
OKLAHOMA CITY — Neither Oklahoma City nor Indiana played on Christmas Day. The prime-time Christmas Day slot was given to soon-to-be 40-year-old LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, facing off against the soon-to-be 37-year-old Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the league's older and more established brands. Over the course of one of the NBA's biggest showcase days, other over-30 stars such as Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kevin Durant were in the spotlight. Spots in the NBA's brightest playoff spotlight are earned, not given. All of those veteran stars are on vacation and these NBA Finals — and the 2025 playoffs in general — have highlighted a wave of generational change that has washed across the league. The faces of the league are changing, and they are much younger. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP and his Oklahoma City Thunder — the youngest team in the NBA this season, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams still on their rookie deals — are the team to beat. Tyrese Haliburton just turned 25, which is the average age for the Pacers this season. For the NBA — and its broadcast and marketing partners — this is something that should be embraced and celebrated. These NBA Finals are not about market size and ratings, it's about the stars of the next generation rising up and taking their place, all while playing high-level, entertaining basketball. 'I understand that there would be concern for how many people would watch because they're smaller markets,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the pearl clutching by some around these NBA Finals. 'But if we're celebrating the game and we're putting game above all, which is one of the things that Adam Silver said when he became commissioner, then it really shouldn't matter. It really shouldn't matter.' Embracing a new generation It's not just SGA and Hali. LeBron and Curry were eliminated from the playoffs by 23-year-old Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Out West, Edwards will be challenged in the coming years by 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama and his Spurs, and more immediately by 22-year-olds Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun with the Houston Rockets. This shift started last season when then 25-year-old Luka Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals but fell to then 26-year-old Jayson Tatum and the Celtics. The change just didn't feel as sweeping because we had seen those young stars on the biggest stages for a few years, and because those teams played a more traditional style. These playoffs have felt different, and a large part of that is due to changes in roster construction and the way the Thunder and Pacers play. Oklahoma City and Indiana are not heliocentric teams built around their stars pounding the ball into the ground and simply hunting mismatches; these are teams where Haliburton and Gilgeous-Alexander are conductors of offenses where everyone eats. These teams are more balanced, more egalitarian. That is the direction the NBA is headed, especially in an era where the tax aprons are flattening out the talent base. We have seen it coming in Denver, where Nikola Jokić is the center of everything, but it works because of his incredible passing skills, which lift up Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr., among many other role players. It's a balanced attack built around their star. The NBA's latest CBA and its incredibly punishing second tax apron means the era of simply stockpiling stars is over (just ask Phoenix). Teams will have to be built more like Indiana, where they have an All-NBA star in Haliburton, but GM Kevin Pritchard built a roster of role players around him who are a hand-in-glove fit with the style of play that works best for said star. 'Things are changing. The roster construction seems to be evolving in a slightly different direction, if not a pretty significantly different direction,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said on the eve of the NBA Finals. 'There are always going to be stars. Identifying with teams may become more of a significant thing than just the star aspect of it.' Players thrive in new style Talk to the players in the NBA Finals, and to a man they say enjoying a modern style of play matters far more to them than the discussion around market size and ratings that seem to dominate some corners of the NBA conversation. These players have embraced playing in Oklahoma City and Indianapolis. 'I always compare it to, like, a small local high school football team being really good, and the city around them kind of gathers around them,' the Thunder's Jalen Williams said. 'That's how Oklahoma is. But it's with that with the whole state. Everywhere we go, I've been met with love since I've been out here. It's a really cool experience.' 'I definitely think it's good for the NBA,' OKC's Aaron Wiggins said of the smaller markets in the NBA Finals. 'Kind of shows that you can build regardless of where you are from within. Obviously, both of our teams didn't necessarily get superstars in the offseason or anything. Kind of drafted and built within. You find pieces that fit in the offseason. 'It just kind of goes to show with the right personnel, with trust, the right development, you can get anywhere you want to get. We're two teams that are kind of proving that this year.' And they are two teams proving that a new generation of stars has taken over the NBA — and that's a good thing.
Bloomberg
28 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Converse – Not Nike – Takes Center Stage at NBA Finals With Thunder Star
When the NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be considered by many as the best player on the overwhelming favorite to win the championship. And like many stars, SGA — as he's known — will be wearing his own signature sneakers when his Oklahoma City Thunder face the Indiana Pacers. But the shoes won't have a Nike swoosh or a Jordan logo — the brands that have long controlled the basketball sneaker market. Instead, he'll be wearing Converse.
Fox News
28 minutes ago
- Fox News
NBA Finals begin with Thunder hosting underdog Pacers in battle of small markets
The NBA Finals kick off on Thursday night in a battle of two small-market teams who have proven they belong. The title will run through Oklahoma City, as the Thunder, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, play host to the Indiana Pacers. OKC went 68-14 over the regular season with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way. As for the Pacers, they are the heavy underdogs, having won 18 fewer games. However, their 50-32 record was good for fourth in the East. Indiana is in its first Finals since 2000, and history repeated itself this year. Just like that team 25 years ago, they defeated the New York Knicks to get here. They had previously beaten their division rivals in the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers in five and six games, respectively, before taking down New York in six contests. It is a bit of a magic carpet ride for the Pacers, who have had miraculous comebacks this postseason. In nearly 1,500 playoff games since 1997, only four times has a team come back to win after trailing by seven-plus points in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime – the Pacers have won three of those games this season alone. A win would be their first NBA title, but they did win three ABA championships in the early 1970s. The Thunder, though, are a different animal - they had, by far, the best defensive rating in the association. They did have trouble with the Denver Nuggets, beating them in seven games in the second round, but they took care of business against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals in five games. They swept the Memphis Grizzlies to begin their playoff quest. OKC is in its first Finals since Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden lost to the Miami Heat, who were in their second year of the Big Three comprised of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. OKC's three-headed monster four years later blew a 3-1 series lead to the 73-9 Golden State Warriors (James returned the favor with the Cleveland Cavaliers), and in recent years since, it has been a huge struggle for the Thunder. However, this is, by far, the best squad they have had since making the move from Seattle in 2008, and a win would be their first since heading east. The SuperSonics won the title in 1979. The Finals format is 2-2-1-1-1, with Games 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City on Thursday and Sunday, and Games 3 and 4 in Indianapolis next Wednesday and Friday. If necessary, Game 5 would take place on June 16 back in Oklahoma, with Game 6 in Indy three days later. Game 7 would be back in OKC on June 22. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
