Towns headed to Knicks in blockbuster NBA trade

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves are sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick in a franchise-altering deal for both sides, a person with knowledge of the deal said Friday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade, which was first reported by The Athletic, had not been finalized.

Towns, a four-time All-Star entering his 10th season who’s one of the best outside shooting big men in the NBA, never hinted at any discontent with the team that drafted him first overall in 2015 despite several lean years preceding the run to the Western Conference finals last spring.

Active in the Twin Cities community, willing to defer the alpha role to young star Anthony Edwards, and unbothered by the move to a stretch power forward role following the acquisition of center Rudy Gobert two years ago, Towns did not appear to see this move coming three days before the beginning of training camp.

In an interview with the AP earlier this week about a youth center he’s helping build in the Dominican Republic — the homeland of his late mother, Jackie — Towns spoke with nothing short of excitement about the season ahead and Minnesota’s outlook coming off the 2023-24 breakthrough that ended in a five-game loss to Dallas in the conference finals.