Karl-Anthony Towns blindsided by bombshell Timberwolves trade

An NBA star has been sensationally blindsided after he was sent packing in a trade that left basketball fans shaking their heads.

Not even KAT had the reflexes to respond to this trade.

Karl-Anthony Towns simply wrote “…” after news broke that the Knicks and Timberwolves were finalising a blockbuster trade that would send the Minnesota star to New York in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo. DaQuan Jeffries and a lottery-protected, first-round pick from the Pistons.

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Jon Krawczynski, the Timberwolves beat reporter for The Athletic, wrote on X that Towns’ camp said the New Jersey product was “stunned” by the deal.

Krawczynski also noted that Towns “did not request this trade. He never has requested a move in nine years here.”

KAT was blindsided by the trade. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The move continued a reshaping of the Knicks roster after two straight runs to the Eastern Conference semi-finals and gave them a centre they needed after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Thunder and Mitchell Robinson missing the start of the season as he recovers from ankle surgery.

The Knicks also acquired Mikal Bridges in a trade for the Nets at the start of the off-season.

The Timberwolves are coming off a season that saw them go 56-26 and reach the Western Conference finals behind the duo of Towns and Anthony Edwards before losing to the Mavericks in five games.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is currently locked in a legal battle with co-owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore — whose bid to buy team recently added help from former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg — over the sale of the team.

Rudy Gobert will have a new big man alongside him this season. Stephen Maturen/Getty Images/AFP

Towns averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds while being named an All-Star for the fourth time.

Randle missed all of the Knicks playoff run after inuring his shoulder on Jan, 27, eventually opting for season-ending surgery.

DiVincenzo was a critical piece for coach Tom Thidodeau’s team especially as injuries began to ravage them in the postseason.

The Villanova product averaged 22.7 points per game in the Knicks’ Eastere Conference semi-finals loss to the Pacers.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Karl-Anthony Towns blindsided by bombshell Timberwolves trade