A report is circulating that Karl-Anthony Towns is “as good as gone” from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Minnesota Timberwolves can’t catch a break.
Right as the Wolves began their In-Market Bubble and a sense of renewed optimism was yet again present, a rumor began circulating that Karl-Anthony Towns is “as good as gone” from Minnesota.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns wants out, according to rumor
Before addressing the rumor, let’s talk about where it came from.
It’s a bit of a head-spinner, as it is being told third (or maybe fourth?)-hand by Darren Wolfson of SKOR North, who is typically as reliable as they come. But, here’s the rumor, presented first without comment:
https://twitter.com/SKORNorth/status/1309258812679880704
Okay, now it’s time to add my own commentary.
This rumor comes on the heels of Towns apparently not being in the Timberwolves’ bubble as of yet, based on his location just the other day. (Remember, Wolves players were in a two-day “hard quarantine” earlier this week.)
The combination of Towns not being in the Twin Cities with D’Angelo Russell and the rest of his teammates and this rumor are certainly not a great look.
That said, the following are also facts: Towns was with his teammates just last week doing individual workouts, coming in at 6 a.m. and leading the charge, per head coach Ryan Saunders and teammate Malik Beasley’s Instagram. Also, Towns is under contract until 2024, and the Wolves just acquired one of his best friends. The duo has played only one game together.
There’s also the extreme, gossipy nature of the rumor. While TMZ was busy reporting on Towns’ whereabouts, it would be fair to expect a rumor like this to come from them, and not a legitimate reporter.
Let’s trace this backward: the agent of a draft prospect talked to a “very good” NBA player in Los Angeles this week and heard that Karl-Anthony Towns was “as good as gone”. We’re now at least four steps removed from the source.
Even the best game of Telephone ever played would be distorted beyond recognition at this stage in the line.
Is Towns unhappy? Probably. He’s been to the playoffs once and was dragged there by an apparently mortal enemy in Jimmy Butler, who is now a step away from the NBA Finals in a new city. His reputation around the league is constantly being dragged, too, which is insane, given just how successful he’s been at such a young age.
On top of all of that, his mom passed away only months ago. And the reason he wasn’t in town the last few days? Certainly appears to be a birthday party for his girlfriend, which seems like a reasonable reason to have an excused absence from a voluntary camp.
All that to say, yes, there could absolutely be smoke where there is fire. But Gersson Rosas did not acquire D’Angelo Russell simply to turn around and trade away Towns in a matter of month.
Perhaps our friends at On The Prowl said it best.
I figured we would hear some type of rumor about this, whether true or not, but didn't figure it would be until next year. It's up to Rosas & ghe Wolves to make him want to stay. D Lo was supposed to be that first step. https://t.co/CbpSLc34h0
— On The Prowl (@ontheprowl_MN) September 25, 2020
All this being said I just have a hard time believing KAT has his mind made up, months after Rosas brought in his good friend and All-Star type player, D Lo. The Wolves have done everything to keep KAT happy so far besides win. Hopefully that starts soon.
— On The Prowl (@ontheprowl_MN) September 25, 2020
KAT isn’t going anywhere, at least not anytime soon. Now, we’ll see what his response is when he eventually enters the Timberwolves’ bubble, which will be ongoing for another 10 days or so.
Here’s hoping that he breaks radio-silence with the media, if for no other reason than to clear some of this stuff up. That said, it’s up to Towns if and when he wants to do that.
This isn’t the first time that NBA rumors have come out of seemingly nowhere, and it won’t be the last.