The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of starting their 2024-25 NBA regular season. Chris Finch needs to take his team to the next level. If that’s going to happen, the blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York and netted Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo needs to work out like President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly envisioned.
We’ll find out whether or not the Wolves’ play on the court this season reflects the boldness of their PoBO. But that might be difficult, especially after you hear KAT talk about how Tim rolled up on his house in the Twin Cities suburbs and broke the shocking news that he had been traded.
Minnesota Timberwolves kept Karl-Anthony Towns in the dark
At this point of the social media + sports world, it’s virtually impossible to make any type of significant transaction without it leaking prematurely. Between Jeff Passan (MLB), Adam Schefter (NFL), Ian Rapoport (NFL), Shams Charania (NBA) and a plethora of others, every league has multiple insider so plugged in that it pretty much nothing gets past them, even before it happens.
Related: Minnesota Timberwolves Reveal the Worst Official Hashtag in Social Media History
But some way, somehow, the Timberwolves were able to get the Karl-Anthony Towns deal done without anyone finding out, including KAT. The new Knicks big man appeared on teammate Jalen Brunson’s “Roommates Show” and revealed how Tim showed up at his house and broke the news to him and his four friends/family members just four minutes before Shams broke it on Twitter (X).
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
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 18, 2024
(🎥 @Roommates__Show / https://t.co/eqJzJ1DdDu) pic.twitter.com/TfVCiM6Jxc
“Four minutes [before the Shams tweet is when Towns found out]. By the time the shock had wore off, Shams had already tweeted. I didn’t get called. They told me, Tim told me to my face that I was traded so. Gangster, it was gangster, I’m not going to lie. I was at the house. He came to my crib. Honestly, it’s a tough situation regardless what would have happened, but the fact that it happened that way I have got to give him respect. It was me, three of my closest friends, and my pops, so. Shout out to him. He came to a house, by himself, with five dudes there who could’ve just started spazzing out and crash out. We said alright. I’ve got to give him respect for that for sure.”
Karl-Anthony Towns on how Tim Connelly broke the trade news to him (Roommates Show)
The trade was one that had been rumored for quite some time. KATto the Knicks made sense, but the Timberwolves continued to tell media members and fans that there was no initiative inside the building to trade their four-time All-Star. Then… boom.
Related: ESPN BPI Loves Timberwolves + Knicks Blockbuster Trade… for One Team
Minnesota has to make things work with Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle now. The former is an immediate answer for all sorts of weak spots, including at point guard. The hope is that Randle can quickly assert himself alongside Rudy Gobert, and maybe knock down a corner three every once in awhile.
Karl-Anthony Towns nice driving layup pic.twitter.com/xcBZFRM7bw
— Knicks Highlights (@KnicksClipss) October 18, 2024
Related: Karl-Anthony Towns Struggling to Move on from Minnesota Timberwolves
The NBA preseason is over and Karl-Anthony Towns will need to quickly turn his focus towards the regular season. It’s time to turn the page and exceed expectations for a market that will give him no breaks. No matter how difficult that might be for him.