Report: Knicks ‘100% Expected’ To Pursue Karl-Anthony Towns If Timberwolves Make Him Available

According to NBA insider Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, the New York Knicks are “100% expected” to pursue Karl-Anthony Towns if the Minnesota Timberwolves make him available this offseason. 

Towns and Anthony Edwards have enormous extensions kicking in next season and Rudy Gobert is slated to make max money as well.

Towns or Gobert have to be traded for the Timberwolves to avoid paying a massive luxury tax bill under the new CBA.

“That team (the Timberwolves) is in flux,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “They want to keep building off what they did this year, but they just can’t afford it. So I would think it is 100% expected that if they move on from him when the dust settles, the Knicks are going to be there.”

The Timberwolves signed Towns to a four-year, $221 million extension in July 2022. KAT will make $49.4 million next season. 

Edwards signed a five-year, $204 million extension last offseason. He’ll make $35.3 million next season. 

Finally, Gobert signed a five-year, $205 million extension with the Utah Jazz in December 2020. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year will make $41 million next season. 

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

The Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals, while the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. 

New York president Leon Rose used to be Towns’ agent when he ran CAA. Towns was born and raised in Edison, New Jersey.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who is expected to sign an extension this offseason, coached Towns on the Timberwolves. 

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 has made two All-NBA teams.