Lakers star reacts to Karl-Anthony Towns' trade to the Knicks and departure from Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers star point guard D'Angelo Russell reacted to the trade of his former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, marking the 28-year-old’s exit from the Western Conference.
After spending nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns was dealt to the Eastern Conference in a trade that saw the Timberwolves acquire Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.
The blockbuster trade news broke on Friday evening, and three days later, D'Angelo Russell shared his first reaction to Karl-Anthony Towns' departure from the Timberwolves and the Western Conference.
Having played alongside Karl-Anthony Towns for four seasons with the Timberwolves, Russell predicted that Towns would continue to excel and secure his fifth All-Star selection in the upcoming season.
"KAT gonna be an All-Star #CarryOn," Russell said in tweet on X (formerly Twitter).
Towns earned his fourth All-Star Game selection last season after delivering consistent performances for the Timberwolves. The 2016 Rookie of the Year averaged 21.8 points in 62 games. He also recorded 8.3 rebounds and three assists per game.
Towns, along with Anthony Edwards, helped the Timberwolves win 56 games last season and reach the Western Conference Finals.
Edwards also reacted to Towns' trade for the first time on Monday during the Timberwolves Media Day. The rising superstar spoke about his chemistry with Towns and also affirmed that he understands the business side of the game.
"I think everybody know KAT my brother, so that definitely hurt," Edwards said. "But it’s a business so I just gotta roll with it."
"I feel like it’s kind of weird to talk about it because he just got traded. That’s my dawg, man. Wasn’t like a one or two situation. It was, we both was the one, we just played off of each other. I’m happy to be whatever the guy that they want me to be now but we was just together so it’s hard for me to talk about," he added.
D'Angelo Russell apologizes to Lakers fans
At Lakers Media Day on Monday, D'Angelo Russell apologized to the team's fans for not holding himself accountable last season. He also reaffirmed his commitment to the franchise as they look ahead to the upcoming season.
"Just trying to be selfless. I want to apologize to all the fans out there that saw me not hold myself accountable throughout the year... Just looking forward to being here, winning here, and being a part of this new everything," Russell said.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has confirmed that Russell will be part of the team's starting lineup next season. The Lakers' success in a highly competitive Western Conference will heavily depend on Russell's performance, particularly his three-point shooting and his play in clutch moments.