Karl-Anthony Towns offers shady comment about Timberwolves after trade

Jul 9, 2019; Marina del Rey, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns attends the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The emotions are still raw right now for Karl-Anthony Towns and perhaps rightfully so.

The newest New York Knicks big man Towns appeared this week on “The Roommates Show” with his new teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. During the episode, Towns opened up about getting traded by his longtime team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns made no secret that he was very much taken aback by the trade and even referred to the Timberwolves at one point as “my former employer.”

“I thought that I was going to retire there,” the 28-year-old Towns said of Minnesota. “I thought it was going to be the place I call home for my whole career, and then after. But my former employer did not agree with that ideology I had. It is what it is.”

Towns did also say though that he respected Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly for coming to his house in order to inform Towns face-to-face that he had been traded (rather than just making a phone call). You can watch Towns’ interview in full here.

Indeed, Towns did everything he could to show loyalty to Minnesota. He was their No. 1 overall pick back in 2015 and developed into a homegrown four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection. Towns stuck with the team through rock bottom (including 19- and 23-win seasons) and pushed back several times against suggestions that he wanted to be traded. Even when Towns had to take a backseat on both ends of the floor after the arrivals of Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, he did so with grace and helped the Wolves make their first conference finals in 20 years this past season.

But then just like that, the Timberwolves suddenly traded Towns, their longest tenured-player and huge fan favorite, to the Knicks late last month. After spending almost a decade going through every peak and valley possible in Minnesota, it makes sense that Towns may need more time to process his new situation (and any bitterness that might come along with it).