Anthony Edwards shares his reaction to Karl-Anthony Towns trade

Apr 12, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles the ball down the court against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns had become quite close during their four seasons together in Minnesota, so it came as a real shock to Edwards when the star center was traded to the New York Knicks.

Edwards offered his reaction to the trade this week while speaking at NBA Media Day, and he made it clear that the trade was difficult for him to take. Edwards noted that he had a strong friendship with Towns, and that it “hurt” to see the organization make the trade.

“I think everybody knows KAT my brother so that definitely hurt,” Edwards said, via Tim Capurso of SI. “It’s a business. I just gotta roll with it. I’m ready to get to know them [Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo] and try to get it figured out as fast as we can because we trying to get back to where we was and go even farther.”

Edwards and Towns were both No. 1 picks by the Timberwolves, and were paired together to try to get the team back to playoff relevance. They did that by going to the Western Conference Finals last season, but financial concerns were likely a big motivator behind the deal.

Edwards is now the undisputed face of the Timberwolves. He averaged 25.9 points per game last season, and may take on even more offensive responsibility moving forward.