Knicks’ Reported Frustration With Karl-Anthony Towns Revealed After Playoff Exit originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

In October, the New York Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade involving Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. 

It was a stunning trade that ultimately helped both teams, as New York and Minnesota made the conference finals this year. 

The Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games, while the Timberwolves lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games. 

Towns appeared in 72 games during the regular season. He averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 52.6% from the field, 42.0% from 3 and 82.9% from the foul line. 

Towns made his fifth All-Star team this year. He helped the Knicks make the conference finals for the first time since 2000. 

From the outside looking in, it appeared things were good between New York and Towns.

However, according to James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz of The Athletic, Knicks coaches and players are frustrated with Towns’ defensive habits.

“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end,” Edwards and Katz wrote.

“Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”

Towns will make $53.1 million next season. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports believes the Knicks should look to trade Towns this summer. 

“Trading KAT should be priority #1 for the Knicks,” O’Connor posted on X. 

Towns turns 30 next season. He has career averages of 23.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists with the Timberwolves and Knicks. 

Related: Knicks Predicted to Make Major Offseason Move Involving Mikal Bridges

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.

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