Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns were never necessarily the perfect match, but they were two perennial All-Stars playing for an organization that had never made an NBA Finals and whose last (and only) division title was in 2004. Simply put, they were arguably the most talented duo the Twin Cities had seen since Kevin Garnett and Sam Cassell.
Even though they never quite reached the top of the mountain, they got pretty darn close in 2024. And after Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with its court-stretching big man, the young star is reportedly feeling particular about his running mate in the Big Apple.
Anthony Edwards ‘Misses’ Former Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns
During the 2022-23 regular season, Edwards set career-highs across the board, averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the field and 35.7% from deep. To complement his rise to superstardom, he had Towns, who averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, shooting an incredibly efficient 50.4% from the floor, 41.6% from 3 and 87% from the free-throw line.
Both were named NBA All-Stars, and Edwards cracked the All-NBA Second Team.
Thanks to the dominant play of both stars, not to mention Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid and Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, the Wolves finished with a record of 56-26, their best season since Garnett’s MVP year in 2003-04.
Unfortunately, they ran into a buzzsaw in Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving in the Western Conference Finals and got bounced in five games.
After much deliberation about how the team can get over the hump in 2024-25, the Timberwolves ultimately made the decision to trade Towns to the New York Knicks in a high-profile deal that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota — a move that Edwards reportedly still hasn’t completely gotten over.
“[Anthony Edwards] really misses Karl-Anthony Towns,” said Dave McMenamin on ESPN. “Sometimes you don’t realize what you have ’til it’s gone.”
"[Anthony Edwards] really misses Karl-Anthony Towns. … Sometimes you don't realize what you have 'til it's gone." 😔
—@mcten on Ant's play with the Wolves this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/iljMmDzSut
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 27, 2025
Since the trade, both players have continued to excel individually. Edwards has embraced his role as the primary offensive weapon for the Timberwolves, delivering standout performances night in and night out.
This includes three back-to-back-to-back 40-point games to kick off the month of February, with Edwards now holding the franchise record with most 40-point games in Timberwolves history. Now, as Minnesota’s undisputed go-to guy, he’s posted career-highs in scoring (27.3 per game), rebounds (6.0 per game) and 3-point shooting percentage (40.5%).
Unfortunately, the Wolves have struggled to replace Towns’ production, with the team being only four games above .500 (32-28, eighth in the West).
On the other side of things, Towns has been a key contributor for the New York Knicks this season. He’s averaged 24.8 points and a career-best 13.5 rebounds per game all while shooting over 53% from the field and 43% from 3. Going in a much different direction, the Knicks have the fifth-best record in the NBA (38-20) and remain in the top five in every major statistical category. Safe to say they’re happy with their investment.
The season is by no means over for the Timberwolves, currently one game shy of the sixth seed in the West. However, this team is a far cry from what they were a year ago, whereas the Knicks feel primed to go on a run this postseason.
It’s easy to see why Edwards might be missing Towns.
Given the significant drop off in production and that the Timberwolves have one of the oldest rosters in the NBA, you can expect big changes to be coming this summer. Edwards misses his guy, and the team needs to capitalize on the fact that he is just now entering the prime of his career. Expect the team to be heavily in the mix to add another superstar talent to complement Edwards next season.
