"That really hurt"- Anthony Edwards doesn't mince words after Karl-Anthony Towns' trade
The Minnesota Timberwolves star trio of Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns is now just another piece of history. On Friday, KAT was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle.
It was unavoidable for this trade to become a topic of discussion during the Wolves' media day and Edwards himself took time to address it. He opened up about how he felt upon learning about the trade, as well as how he plans to handle the situation moving forward.
"I think everybody know KAT my brother so that definitely hurt," Edwards said to the media. "But you know it's a business so I just gotta roll with it."
The Wolves star also said that he was ready to get to know his new teammates whenever they arrive in Minnesota.
Before Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert donned the Minnesota Timberwolves jersey, Karl-Anthony Towns was the main guy on the team.
KAT was drafted number one overall by the Wolves in 2015 and had the top win shares for seven straight seasons, starting from his rookie year to 2021-22. In the past two seasons, Gobert took over this distinction from him.
Anthony Towns also gave up his spot as the top guy in Minnesota when it became evident that Edwards was going to become a star. However, there were no signs of bitterness coming from the nine-year vet.
Instead, Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns formed a brother-like bond, as mentioned by the former while speaking to the media.
Also read: "Crew has been separated": Anthony Edwards' GF Jeanine Robel 'heartbroken' after Karl-Anthony Towns' trade to the Knicks
After Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert also shared his feelings regarding the KAT trade
Four-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert shared a brief message for Karl-Anthony Towns after news that he would be traded became public. Gobert shared a short message for KAT on his Instagram Stories that has since expired. In it, Gobert expressed how grateful he was to have been a part of KAT's story.
Aside from the post, Gobert also got the chance to share how he felt regarding the trade with the media after Anthony Edwards.
The French center admitted that the trade blindsided him. He admitted that the news hadn't fully sunk in yet and that he was still in the midst of processing it.
"KAT is someone that I have a lot of love and respect for," Gobert added.
Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns were a deadly tandem on the Timberwolves frontcourt. KAT and Anthony Edwards took on the role of main offensive weapons, which allowed Gobert to dedicate more of his energy to grabbing boards as well as defending the rim.
In turn, Edwards, KAT, and the entirety of the Wolves defense became one of the toughest in the league. Players rotated to their assignments with confidence, knowing that Gobert was patrolling the paint behind them and would make any attempts close to the basket a tough shot.