The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are working through the framework of a trade involving Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns, league sources confirmed to ESPN’s Bobby Marks on Friday night.
The teams are still working through details but talks have intensified over last 24 hours, sources said.
The Athletic first reported on talks between the teams.
The blockbuster would come just days before the start of training camps throughout the NBA and would see the Knicks add a four-time All-Star in Towns to pair with star guard Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks are already thin at center, with Mitchell Robinson set to miss the beginning of the regular season after offseason ankle surgery, league sources confirmed to ESPN earlier this week.
Towns has spent all nine of his NBA seasons with Minnesota, combining with Anthony Edwards to help the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference finals this past season. He would reunite with current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, whom he played under in Minnesota (2016-19).
New York had its own postseason success last season, reaching the conference semifinals before losing to the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Randle, though, was not part of the picture in the playoffs. He dislocated his shoulder Jan. 27, and after two months of rehab, he opted to undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery in April.
That ended an All-Star season for the 29-year-old forward, who was averaging 24 points on 47% shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game at the time of the injury.