Karl-Anthony Towns' first season with the Knicks last year was "what movies is made of." Unfortunately, fast forward to this season, and there are already rumblings of him getting traded, and it isn't even February.
Between unforced turnovers, foul trouble, and relatively non-existent defense, combined with his worst statistical season since his rookie year, both the Knicks organization and fans are experiencing the same frustrations that ultimately led to Towns' surprise departure from Minnesota.
A report from Marc Stein shows that while a trade is not imminent, there is a greater than non-zero chance that he could find a new home.
“A belief persists among some rival teams that Towns is in play to some degree. Or that the Knicks, at the very least, have tried to get a sense of what his market would be," Stein said.
Where could Towns be on the move to?
A few rumored potential destinations for Towns have been the Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Grizzlies would likely be a swap package centered around Jaren Jackson Jr., and the Bucks and Blazers trades would likely be in a deal that gets Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Knicks, with Towns either going to the Bucks or to a third team (Portland makes sense due to them having the Bucks draft picks).
Coming off a career year in his new home, it's crazy to think he could be on the move again, but the Timberwolves saw the writing on the wall with Towns, even if every fan, including myself, was confused when the trade went down. It's clear Tim Connelly knew what others didn't.
The Wolves front office has been proven right for the trade
When the Wolves traded Towns, they held firm on a belief-even if it was met with scrutiny. Winning a championship with Towns as your second option isn't a recipe for long-term success. They reached the Western Conference finals with him, but they knew that they had reached their ceiling with him.
The only way to cover up his flaws on defense was to trade for the best interior defender of this generation to pair with him. Towns' on-court flaws paired with his $55.1 million annual salary, moving on from him was the right move.
While Towns is still an incredible player, and he'll go down as an all-time Wolves great, with each passing day, Tim Connelly is being proven right for this bold trade.