The day has arrived.
Karl-Anthony Towns is set to return to the place he once called home — to the franchise that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015 and molded him into a perennial All-Star center.
On Thursday, Towns will step onto the Target Center floor as a member of the Knicks, facing the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first time in the regular season since the blockbuster trade that sent him to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo just three days into training camp in Charleston, S.C.
Twenty-four games into his Knicks career, it’s clear Towns has elevated his game to new heights.
Averaging 24.8 points, 13.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, one block, and 0.9 steals per game — and with Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid sidelined for much of the season — Towns is a frontrunner for an Eastern Conference All-Star starting nod at the five. His career-best rebounding numbers and a scorching 43.9% from three-point range are solidifying his case.
“I don’t think he’s exceeded expectations,” OG Anunoby said after practice at the Knicks’ Tarrytown facility on Tuesday. “We knew he was a great player. We’ve been playing against him for years. We knew what he was capable of. We knew how talented he is. So this wasn’t a surprise.”
But Thursday isn’t just about Towns. It’s also a reunion for Randle and DiVincenzo, two key pieces of the Knicks’ 50-win season last year who found themselves shipped out as part of the deal.
For Randle, the trade came as a shock.
Just days earlier, he had represented the Knicks at the groundbreaking of The Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School in The Bronx. After missing the second half of last season with a shoulder injury, he was expected to rejoin a team that had claimed the East’s No. 2 seed without him. Instead, he was on a plane to Minnesota, part of the deal to bring Towns to New York.
DiVincenzo’s departure was equally surprising.
Fresh off setting Knicks franchise records for three-pointers made in a single game and a single season, he had also played stellar defense during the playoffs, earning fan-favorite status. The trade also cut short what was supposed to be a Villanova reunion at Madison Square Garden, with DiVincenzo joining former Wildcats teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges to recreate their championship success from 2016 and 2018.
Instead, the Nova Four became the Nova Three. And the Knicks packaged DiVincenzo alongside Randle to land Towns.
“You always have that sense of not being wanted,” Hart said on Wednesday. “That’s on both sides. I think ‘Te [Donte] and Ju [Julius] probably felt that way. And KAT probably felt that way. Every time a trade happens, you feel — no matter how much another team wants you — you still feel a little chip on your shoulder.”
“That’s just human nature,” he added. “People forget that we’re humans. There’s a human aspect to basketball. We’re not just machines that you program and put on the court.”
The Nova Three will face their former brother on Thursday, but tensions may flare.
DiVincenzo’s preseason encounter with the Knicks was already heated. He was seen jawing with head coach Tom Thibodeau and Knicks assistant Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, during an October exhibition game. Things escalated postgame when DiVincenzo and Brunson had a verbal altercation that required separation.
“I call him a little hothead. He’s always been that way,” Jalen Brunson said on Wednesday. “But that’s my brother. No matter what happens, that’s family.”
While Randle has adapted to his new role in Minnesota, averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists alongside Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, DiVincenzo has struggled. Shooting just 31.9% from three and averaging 8.3 points per game, he hasn’t found the same rhythm that made him a key contributor in New York.
“Donte is a good player,” Thibodeau said of his former sharpshooter. “He was terrific with us. At the end of the day, it’s about what you do in totality.”
For Towns, the transition to New York has been seamless. Thriving as the Knicks’ centerpiece, he’ll aim to lead his team to their 12th win in 16 games in what promises to be an emotionally charged return to the city where his NBA journey began.
“There’s definitely emotions to it,” Hart said. “Obviously, this is Game 27, but for KAT, being there for nine years, he had big milestones in his life, on the court and off the court. So, definitely, I’m sure it’s going to be emotional for him. But he’s in great spirits, and we’re just excited. We had a lot of time off, and now we’re ready to just get back to it.”
Thibodeau emphasized the importance of keeping emotions in check and focusing on the game at hand.
“The important thing is not to get distracted. Emotions are part of the game, but the focus has to be on how you get ready to play,” Thibodeau said. “It’s not KAT versus Julius or Donte. It’s the Knicks against the Timberwolves. That’s what we need to understand — to not get lost in anything else.”
As Towns steps onto the Target Center floor for the first time as a Knick, the stakes are high. The Wolves and Knicks enter Thursday’s matchup with similar records and both about six games behind their respective conference’s No.1 seed. And with both vying for deep playoff runs, the showdown is also a tune-up game for championship hopefuls.
And for Towns, this isn’t just a return — it’s a statement.
The Knicks will count on their All-Star big man to channel his emotions into another dominant performance as they aim to find the fleeting consistency needed to take the next step.
“We have totally new personnel and so, not just Donte and Julius but the number of players returning from last Christmas were like three,” said Brunson. “And so, we’ve almost had a full year of new guys on our team…We’re still a work in progress and there’s still a long way to go.”