Wolves may or may not 'win' KAT trade on court but his departure is still a loss

The early analysis of the blockbuster trade that is set to send Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a draft pick aren't overwhelmingly positive for either side.

It's a shocking trade with big implications just days before NBA training camps open.

While it'll take time for each team to integrate the new players and ultimately reveal who got the better end of the trade, one thing is certain: moving on from Karl-Anthony Towns is a tough blow to the Timberwolves and its fans, regardless of how the on-court changes shake out.

Related: BREAKING: Timberwolves, Knicks make blockbuster trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns

The 28-year-old former No. 1 overall pick in 2015 went through a lot in Minnesota. He shined on the court, winning the Rookie of the Year Award, becoming a four-time All-Star and two-time Third Team All-NBA player, and setting multiple records with his scoring and three-point shooting. He was always very involved in the community, too, and won the NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award this year for his efforts advocating for voting rights, education reform and issues with mass incarceration.

He also was frequently criticized for his demeanor on the court, his candor off it and for failing to win despite carrying a team bereft of talent and valuable experience early in his career.

Personally, he battled through numerous injuries and the death of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz, from COVID-19 in the spring of 2020.

When young star Anthony Edwards arrived later that year, he embraced the precocious guard and allowed him to take the reins of the franchise as his talent quickly ascended. He also adjusted his role on the court when Rudy Gobert was acquired in 2022, moving from center to power forward and working to improve his perimeter defense, and he was one of the first Timberwolves to make a noticeable effort to praise Gobert — something he continued through this past season — and get him involved on offense by getting him the ball for easy buckets.

After the Wolves stormed back and beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals to punch Minnesota's ticket to the conference finals for the first time in 20 years, Towns was asked what made the team believe it could complete such a comeback.

“People like the man next to me, Rudy," he responded. "Rudy, all these guys in the locker room, they’re all willing to sacrifice for the greater cause, for the win.”

When attention shifted to stopping three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, KAT gave Jokic his flowers and then added, “We got the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, also."

Later, also after that Game 7 win over Denver, he was asked to reflect on getting the franchise to a level it's only ever been at one time following years and years of mediocrity.

“I definitely had a moment," Towns said. "You know, I’ve been here nine years, I’ve talked about wanting to win and do something special here at this organization and, you know, for all the failures and all the things that didn’t materialize and happen and the disappointment that comes with it, to be having this moment where, even just this moment, we get to celebrate the wins, you know? For me, being here nine years, I’ve seen everything and seen it all and … to be here, this year, these guys, this team, after all that, it’s just super special.”

He got a sharp reminder that the NBA is a business, first and foremost, on Friday night. Still, he later posted a picture on his social media of him getting shots up at the Wolves practice facility with his father, which he said was at 3 a.m. — roughly six hours after the trade news broke.

He'll leave the Wolves as one of the best players in franchise history, ranking:

• 4th in games played,
• 2nd in minutes played,
• 2nd in shots attempted and made,
• 1st in made 3s,

• 2nd in points,

• 2nd in rebounds,
• 2nd in blocks,
• 4th in assists,
• 4th in steals,
• 1st in player efficiency rating,

• 2nd in win shares & VORP,
  

• 2nd in box plus-minus.

Regardless of whether or not you love KAT, and no matter how the Wolves do with Randle, DiVincenzo and that draft pick, Minnesota lost more than just its longest-tenured player in the trade, and that'll sting for some time.