The reported New York Knicks-Minnesota Timberwolves blockbuster trade involving four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has not yet been made official, and the current Knicks know that.
It’s why they dodged every single question about Towns potentially landing in the “Big Apple” during media day on Monday at the team’s Westchester, New York, training facility.
“Who’s Karl?” star point guard Jalen Brunson said when reporters peppered him with questions about Towns.
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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau speaks during a media day press conference at the MSG training facility in Tarrytown, NY. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
Head coach Tom Thibodeau also declined to comment when asked about Towns, though he did give one reporter a, “Good try,” when asked about their time together when the coach was leading the Timberwolves prior to joining the Knicks, per Yahoo Sports.
Other stars on the Knicks like Josh Hart got a bit playful with their response to Towns questions.
“We got KAT?” Hart said as he turned around to look at a Knicks public relations team member. “Whoa, that’s crazy.”
KNICKS, TIMBERWOLVES CLOSE TO EXCHANGING ALL-STARS IN POTENTIAL BLOCKBUSTER TRADE: REPORTS
Hart would continue looking over at Knicks PR to make sure that when he was discussing someone “unofficial” joining the team, he was doing so correctly. He said that unofficial person (Towns) has “high character” and “would fit well” with the team they have now.
It may not be official yet, but Towns is already in New York as he was spotted at the training facility getting out of a car, and he is already wearing a Knicks hat on his head.
The monster deal is expected to be the Knicks sending All-Star forward Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, a key sharpshooter for the Knicks in their successful 2023 season, to the T-Wolves in exchange for Towns.
And while some didn’t want to comment on Towns, or played dumb as a joke, the loss of two key members of the Knicks in Randle and DiVincenzo is still very fresh as these players get back on the court together.
Karl-Anthony Towns celebrates a basket during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals at American Airlines Center on May 28, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
“Yeah, that news was…it was crazy,” Brunson said. “But I’m really thankful for them and their friendships and everything, and what they brought to this team. I’m really thankful I got to get a relationship with Julius. The memories we made together was really fun. Absolutely.
“And Donte, I mean, he was a groomsman in my wedding. So that should tell you everything you need to know about our relationship. I love him to death.”
Despite these two losses, the Knicks are adding one of the best two-way centers in the game, while already bringing in Mikal Bridges, who Brunson and Hart know very well during their time at Villanova.
DiVincenzo was also in that “Nova Boys” pack, but there were reports that he wasn’t going to be too happy with a bench role after making such an impact last year to bring the Knicks within one game of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson speaks during a media day press conference at the MSG training facility in Tarrytown, NY. (Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
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Either way, the Knicks know they have to say all the right things right now, but the writing is on the wall: Towns is going to be playing his home games at Madison Square Garden this season, where the expectation of competing for an NBA title remains.
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