Karl-Anthony Towns: D'Angelo Russell Is 'Big Incentive' to Stay with T-Wolves

Minnesota Timberwolves star center Karl-Anthony Towns said the team's blockbuster acquisition of guard D'Angelo Russell from the Golden State Warriors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline gives him a "big incentive" to remain with the organization for the long haul. 

Towns told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic he was surprised the Wolves were able to land Russell, one of his best friends.

"I'd be lying if I told you I thought it was possible," he said. "I'm shocked like everybody else. We've been putting it into the universe since Day 1. We've never been shy about saying it in the media or interviews or wherever it may be. If you want something to happen, you have to keep believing and keep saying it to the universe and repeating it and one day the universe will hear it and give you your wish."

For Minnesota, it's a move that can help keep its franchise cornerstone happy as the 15-35 Timberwolves head toward their 15th playoff-less season in the past 16 years.

"I think with D-Lo here, it's always going to be a big incentive for me to want to stay," Towns said. "D-Lo is a big part of everything the vision is. D-Lo always knows he's going to be wanted because his brother is here with him and he always knows he's going to have his back covered because I'm always going to be there for him."

"

"To wake up and see the situation that I’m in and feel the love of somebody wanting me to be here ... it’s a surreal moment for me right now."

—D'Angelo Russell on playing with Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/iTh3rSZmrX

— ESPN (@espn) February 7, 2020"

That's exactly what Russell, who's already heading to his fourth team since being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 draft, has been seeking: a place to call home.

"I don't know," he told The Athletic's Anthony Slater on Monday about the trade rumors. "I really don't know. I'm not losing sleep over it. I just want to be somewhere where it's home and I can unpack my bags, but I'm so comfortable with being uncomfortable nowadays that it is what it is."

The 23-year-old Ohio State product had taken on a leading role for the Warriors this season with Stephen Curry (broken hand) and Klay Thompson (torn ACL) sidelined by injuries. He averaged 23.6 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 3.6 threes across 33 appearances for the Dubs.

Golden State has faded to the bottom of the NBA standings with a 12-40 record, however, so the front office decided to start looking toward the future.

Curry and Thompson will lead the backcourt next season, which wouldn't have left a large offensive role for Russell. Instead, the Warriors acquired Andrew Wiggins from the Wolves to join a projected starting lineup also featuring Draymond Green and a high draft pick, perhaps center James Wiseman.

That could be enough talent to push Golden State back into the title conversation, while the Wolves can use the rest of this season to see which players fit best alongside their new core of Towns and Russell.

Both players are under contract for at least three more years, which gives the front office a little time to build the necessary support cast to make Minnesota a serious threat in the West too.

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Chris Mannix from NBC Sports Boston and FS1 joins “The Full 48 with Howard Beck” to discuss trade deadline winners (Minnesota and the Clippers), the Houston Rockets, the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons partnership, the perplexing Andre Drummond trade, Isaiah Thomas’ career prospects, and the on-going disaster that is the New York Knicks.