When does Karl-Anthony Towns make his homecoming to Target Center?

Following Friday night's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, October 11. Two days later, the Wolves will battle their most recent trade partners—the New York Knicks. Ex-Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns will suit up against his former team for the first time.

Unfortunately for NBA fans, Sunday's tilt is only a glimpse into what's to come. The contest between Towns and Minnesota is only an exhibition game. To put matters into perspective, Towns played 15 minutes in his New York debut, the most of any Knicks starter. The preseason provides more of an opportunity for the reserves and end-of-the-bench guys to solidify their spots on the opening season roster.

While Sunday offers intrigue, Towns' official homecoming is scheduled for December 19. The Knicks will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Timberwolves for the first time in the 2024-25 season at 7:00 p.m. CT. This will be KAT's first time playing in the Target Center in an opposing uniform.

Towns returns to Minneapolis on December 19

Conversely, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo must wait a month longer than Towns to *officially* face off against their former squad. The Timberwolves travel to New York City to take on the Knicks for the second and final time on January 17 at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Neither game will be aired on a national network—likely because the trade occurred so soon before the regular season began. The NBA schedule was released on August 15, over a month before the Towns-for-Randle swap came to fruition. Instead, NBA fans will be treated to an Atlanta vs. San Antonio matchup on December 19 and a Hornets vs. Bulls clash on January 17. Surely a Towns-Minnesota reunion would have been slated for national coverage if the trade happened before the NBA's schedule release.

Although not the most notable matchup, the Timberwolves and Knicks series has been highly competitive for quite some time. Prior to December's matchup, the two squads have split their annual home-and-away season series dating back to 2019. Minnesota leads the all-time battle between the two franchises, winning 36 of 66 games.

Watching Towns suit up for another squad will ostensibly be odd. The former first-overall pick played 573 regular season games for the Wolves. Towns was tied for fourth at nine seasons among active players who've spent their entire careers with one team. Sure, losing Towns is disheartening after such a long career in Minnesota, but on a positive note, the big man lands on a team with championship aspirations. The potential for a Minnesota vs. New York NBA Finals matchup isn't too far-fetched.