Person Who Worked Closely With Karl-Anthony Towns Says Knicks Star Is Not ‘Soft’: ‘I Think It’s The Whole Thing That Happened With Jimmy Butler’

A person who worked closely with Karl-Anthony Towns said the NBA star is not “soft.”

“Finesse player? Yes. Soft player? No,” the NBA source told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I think it’s the whole thing that happened with Jimmy Butler. In today’s world, somebody can write a script about you and that s–t never changes.”

The New York Knicks acquired Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a massive blockbuster trade. Towns played for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. 

“Thibs should understand this — you don’t trade for an offensive player so he becomes the best defensive player,” the NBA source said. “The kid has been in the league for eight years, he is what he is. The best way he can contribute for you is to let him score. He’s 20 and 10 every night and he can give you a 30-point outburst regularly if you go to him. There’s no sense in bringing him in there and trying to turn him into Clint Capela or Rudy Gobert or Mitchell Robinson. He’s much more like Joel Embiid without the power.”

Towns averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks for the Timberwolves in 2023-24 while shooting 50.4% from the field, 41.6% from beyond the arc and 87.3% from the free-throw line.  

A four-time All-Star, Towns has career averages of 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocks. He was the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Kentucky. 

Towns, who has made two All-NBA teams, signed a four-year, $221 million extension in July 2022. He will make $49.4 million this season. 

“To me, that should be a very dynamic duo because Jalen Brunson knows how to pick out a spot where a guy is most efficient,” an NBA talent evaluator said. “And Karl can give you diversity in pick-and-roll. You can take advantage of the other team’s center. You’ll be impressed with how versatile KAT’s scoring prowess is. He can score at the rim, in the middle of the lane, in the midrange, or he’ll knock the s- -t out of 3-point shots.”