Why Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle won't be present on media day
09/30/2024 12:07 AM
The NBA world is still buzzing over the surprising trade bombshell involving big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle. The two former Kentucky Wildcats stars were involved this offseason in a three-team swap that also included the Charlotte Hornets in the transaction. Towns is now going to play for the New York Knicks, while Randle will be calling the Minnesota Timberwolves his new home in the NBA.
However, Towns and Randle will not be making appearances on their respective new teams’ media days.
“The Knicks-TWolves-Hornets trade involving Julius Randle, Karl Anthony Towns and Donte DiVincenzo is still on track, but not completed yet,” wrote Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
“The expectation is early this week, sources tell ESPN, which means the players involved will not be at media day as camps start to open Monday.”
Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle to embark on new NBA journeys after long tenures with previous teams
There will be a significant adjustment to be made by Karl-Anthony Towns and Randle, as they are set to start a new chapter in their respective NBA careers. For Towns, this will just be the first time that he’ll be playing for a team that’s not the Timberwolves. He spent his first nine seasons in the NBA in the Twin Cities after the Timberwolves selected him as the top overall pick at the 2015 NBA draft.
Towns’ trade to the Knicks also takes place at a time when the Timberwolves have seemingly evolved into a legitimate title contender after making the NBA Playoffs in each of the last three seasons, including one where they reached the Western Conference finals in the 2024 NBA postseason.
During his lengthy stint with the Timberwolves, Towns averaged 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while posting a 57.6 effective field goal percentage.
As for Randle, while this is not the first time he’s switched to a new club, his departure from the Knicks marks the end of his longest tenure on a team so far in his career. He played for the Knicks for five seasons, while becoming a three-time NBA All-Star during his stay in the Big Apple. A first-round pick by the Los Angeles Lakers at the 2014 NBA draft, Randle put up averages of 22.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.7 assists with a 50.5 effective field goal percentage for New York, which reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the last two campaigns.
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