Karl-Anthony Towns never asked to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves throughout his nine-year stay on the organization, according to NBA reporter Jon Krawczynski. Despite his safe four-year, $2200.4 million contract, there were concerns over who might be transferred due to the team’s financial status and the fact that they had three centers on payroll. Towns took matters into his own hands because he was afraid for his spot on the team because of this uncertainty.
According to a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Towns expressed worries as soon as the Timberwolves made the surprise acquisition of Rudy Gobert. Reaching out to team president Tim Connelly, KAT wanted to be sure there were no surprises in store for him personally.
Windhorst said : “The Gobert trade came out of nowhere. It stunned the entire organization,”. In order to avoid receiving a similar surprise for himself, Towns set up a dinner appointment with Connelly and asked him directly: “Are you gonna trade me?”
Connelly was upfront about Towns’ role on the squad even if he refrained from making any firm commitments.
Karl-Anthony Towns stood out in the previous campaign
Given Gobert’s stellar record, Towns’s concerns were understandable. After winning three Defensive Player of the Year titles in his final season with Utah, Gobert’s arrival to the Timberwolves raised questions over Towns’ potential role going forward. Towns averaged 15.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.
It makes sense that KAT looked to management for comfort as she felt the weight of this powerful new presence mounting. After speaking with Connelly and other executives, Towns appeared to feel more secure about his position on the team.
He continued to play in the same manner as the previous season, averaging 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game while shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range and 50.4 percent from the field. Towns assisted rising sensation Anthony Edwards in leading the Timberwolves to their first Conference Finals appearance since 2004.
