There’s always a bittersweet feeling when a former fan favorite leaves the team and has success. The fanbase is certainly happy for him, but they still wish that he was doing it for the team they love.
The Minnesota Timberwolves saw that with the franchise’s all-time best player, Kevin Garnett, who won a championship in his first year after being traded to the Boston Celtics. Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t won it all yet, but he’s in the NBA finals in his second year after being dealt to the New York Knicks.
Towns leading the offense like he never did in Minnesota
Spending the first nine seasons of his career with the Timberwolves after they selected him first overall in 2015, Towns became a fan favorite nearly from the start. The team wasn’t very good in his first two years, but the 7-footer gave hope that in the future, he could lead them to their first NBA finals appearance.
Towns wasn’t able to do it by himself, but Minnesota took a leap forward soon after drafting Anthony Edwards with the first pick in 2020. They reached their second-ever conference finals in 2024.
Then came the shocking trade late in the 2024 offseason, which brought Julius Randle Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick, which became Joan Beringer to the Wolves in exchange for Towns. From a financial standpoint, you can understand why Minnesota decided to do it. Towns was set to begin a four-year extension worth $220+ million.
As much as he was (and still is) beloved in Minnesota, there was always the thought he could unlock more in his game. While most look fondly at his series against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in 2024, his efficiency dipped in the playoffs. A small drop is expected, but Towns’ postseason shooting numbers with the Wolves pale in comparison to the regular season.
Now, while many Timberwolves fans are cheering him on with their team eliminated, in the back of their minds, they have to wonder why they couldn’t see more of this version of Towns. With the Knicks, Towns is often the playmaking hub of the Knicks' offense.
Towns’ shooting percentage splits through the first 14 playoff games for NY this year are 57.2/48.9/89.1. In 32 playoff games with Minnesota, the 7-footer had just one game of at least five assists. Remarkably, he has eight outings in this year’s postseason with at least six assists, including three with 10.
Wolves fans couldn’t help but smile when, after a Knicks win earlier in the playoffs, Towns, in a postgame interview, told Edwards to get well soon after he suffered his knee hyperextension. Just like with Garnett, though, they wish the success that he is having still came with him donning a Timberwolves jersey.
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