A new report has offered up some extra details on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ surprising decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns a week before the start of preseason.

This was a pretty quiet summer for the Timberwolves. There had been speculation that they could trade Towns due to the salary cap implications of his contract in the years ahead. However, months went by and it looked like KAT would be back to try and make another Finals run with top star Anthony Edwards.

Related: Magic Johnson is Still Mad at Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards

Why did the Minnesota Timberwolves move on from Karl-Anthony Towns?

That was all changed last week when it was revealed that the Wolves and Knicks had finally agreed on a long-rumored deal to send the four-time All-Star to New York. It was stunning because it came just a week before the start of the preseason and it was a left-field end to his nine-year career in Minnesota.

There have been various reports on why the organization took this bold step now, and not before February’s trade deadline. On Monday, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein added some extra intel to the speculation in a new piece on his Substack page.

Stein claims that many around the league were also stunned by the timing of the move. In the end, The Knick’s were desperate to improve their center position and made an offer that the Wolves just couldn’t pass on.

Especially knowing they could use some of the $220 million owed to Towns toward re-signing fan favorites like Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In his report, Stein mentions three main reasons why Tim Connelly decided to move on this deal. Most of Stein’s note on Randle was worth including, because it gets a little juicy.

Marc Stein reveals fresh intel on why the Timberwolves shipped KAT to New York

1. “Coach Chris Finch worked with Randle as an assistant in New Orleans and knows his game very well…”

Head coach Chris Finch and his past working with Julius Randle in New Orleans clearly played a major role in getting this deal done. Obviously, the Minnesota Timberwolves head coach loved Karl-Anthony Towns. But he has experience with Randle, too, and feels he can bring out the best in him for at least one season.

2. “Minnesota, league sources say, was the losing finalist to New York in free agency in 2023 when DiVincenzo chose to sign with the Knicks and never stopped wanting the rugged 3-and-D swingman…”

The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly were also a top finalist to sign Donte DiVincenzo last summer, before he decided to sign with the Knicks, where he had a career season, shooting 40.1% from deep, and they get him at a bargain-bin rate of $11.4 million this season.

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3. “The Wolves need an infusion of playmaking on a roster that features 37-year-old Mike Conley and rookie Rob Dillingham as the primary point guards … and Randle’s ability to make plays could (stress: could) offset the concerns about his inconsistent long-range shooting and what that might mean for Minnesota’s spacing.”

As Stein writes, there are a lot of questions surrounding Julius Randle. Sure, he has been really good in recent seasons, but it wasn’t that long ago that his stock was on a sharp decline. Luckily for the Timberwolves, they are not tied to KAT’s former Kentucky teammate, beyond 2025, which is a player option ($30 million).

Mentioned in this article: Karl-Anthony Towns

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