Amid reported links to Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns claims he has squashed beef with Tom Thibodeau: “2 grown men got together”
Karl-Anthony Towns and current New York Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t have the best of relationships when the latter was coaching the Minnesota Timberwolves. There were also rumors that Towns was behind Thibodeau’s firing. However, the alleged bad blood between the two seems to have been squashed.
Ahead of the preseason game between the Timberwolves and Knicks, Towns spoke to reporters about his relationship with the Knicks coach. He said that the two of them had a conversation, which was helpful in mending their relationship:
“Two men grown men got together and had a conversation."
However, New York Post reporter Stefan Bondy believes that the improved relationship between the player and his former coach has more to it. There is reason to believe that the reports of their better relationship are swamped with possible trades between the Knicks and the Timberwolves.
Towns, who is a three-time All-Star, is entering the final year of his rookie extension. He, however, agreed to a four-year, $224 million supermax deal with the Timberwolves, which starts next season. Looking from the contract standpoint, it is very unlikely that he would be leaving Minnesota anytime soon.
However, last season, Minnesota was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. Despite having a star player in the form of Towns, the Timberwolves have barely capitalized on the talent on the roster. If they fail next season, there is a high chance that the trio of Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert might be broken.
Tom Thibodeau has high praise for Karl-Anthony Towns amid Knicks trade rumors
It wasn't just Karl-Anthony Towns, but Tom Thibodeau, too, indicated about the improved and perhaps amicable relationship between them. Ahead of the game between the Knicks and the Timberwolves, Thibodeau praised the 2016 Rookie of the Year:
“When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively. He has continued to get better I think… . He’s really, really gifted.”
At the moment, there is no sign of the Timberwolves looking to trade Towns. However, the failures the organization has faced despite having three max-contract players on the roster, it is sure that it would be expecting more this season. If the Timberwolves break the roster, there is a chance that Towns might consider playing for his former coach.