RealGM Basketball Wiretap

09 November 2025

• Karl-Anthony Towns 'Still Stunned' By Trade To Knicks, Admits Facing Wolves 'Weird'

  Karl-Anthony Towns said he remains shocked by his trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks one year after the blockbuster deal. The Knicks big man made the admission following Wednesday's 137-114 victory over his former team at Madison Square Garden.

  "I'm still stunned, I mean, I'm still stunned. It's weird," Towns said after the game.

  Towns spent nine seasons with the Timberwolves before being traded to New York on the eve of last season's training camp. The deal sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota in exchange for Towns.

  "I feel more like a Knick now after everything we went through last year, but it's weird to see that Wolves jersey -- especially the fire black one -- and not see 'Towns' on the back of it," Towns said.

  The trade shocked many observers because Minnesota had just reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2004. Towns appeared to be a cornerstone alongside Anthony Edwards for the resurgent franchise.

  Towns admitted he nearly referred to the Timberwolves as "we" during his postgame interview, revealing the deep connection he maintains with the organization.

  "Built something special there," Towns said. "It's different when you're in process and now you're going against the process. They're a great team. To see what they're doing right now, special, and I expect nothing less than greatness from them."

  Towns remains in frequent contact with his former teammates, communicating "every day, if not every other day." He noted that many plays once designed for him now go to former Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.

  "It's always great when you see your brothers," Towns said. "Ant, becoming the face of the league. Me and Rudy [Gobert], years and years of battles against each other, turning teammates, having a close bond. It was really good to compete against my brothers. It's deeper than basketball. It's family."

  Towns recorded 15 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 31 minutes. He had memorable plays including backing down Edwards for a dunk and another over Gobert.

  Randle performed well in his return to Madison Square Garden, posting 32 points, five rebounds and four assists in the loss.

  "Man, he dunked on me today," Edwards said. "I didn't jump, though. But yeah, he backed me down. But he's strong as hell. And he's 7 feet tall."

• Timberwolves, Kings Monitoring Ja Morant Situation; Rockets Unlikely To Get Involved

  NBA teams have taken notice of Ja Morant's unhappiness with the Memphis Grizzlies. While no one is suggesting a trade is close, a handful of teams are keeping tabs on where things go for Morant and the Grizzlies.

  The Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are both potentially interested if the Memphis star point guard becomes available via trade.

  The Timberwolves haven't found a long-term lead ballhandler to pair with Anthony Edwards in their backcourt. Mike Conley is nearing the end of his long career, and second-year guard Rob Dillingham has a way to go before he'll be ready to start. The challenge for Minnesota is that they are barely under the second apron, and they don't have a lot of tradable assets in the form of draft picks or young talent.

  Sacramento has regularly pursued stars when they become available. The Kings traded for Zach LaVine last season, after previously acquiring DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade. Sacramento could offer back a point guard, plus matching salary in a trade offer for Morant.

  The Houston Rockets are unlikely to make a bid for Morant. Houston is without starting point guard Fred VanVleet but has a rising payroll after extending Kevin Durant and others recently.

• Anthony Edwards Cleared For Basketball Activities In Hamstring Rehab

  Anthony Edwards has been cleared for contact basketball activities. Edwards suffered a right hamstring strain on Sunday, Oct. 26 during the Timberwolves vs. Indiana Pacers game.

  Edwards' game availability will remain as out as he continues to progress through his return-to-play rehabilitation program.

  In three games, Edwards is averaging 25.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.7 minutes.

  Edwards has played in no fewer than 72 games during the first six seasons of his career and in 79 games each of the past three seasons as one of the NBA's more durable stars.

• Anthony Edwards Out Two Weeks With Hamstring Strain

  Anthony Edwards will be out at least two weeks with a right hamstring strain. Edwards suffered the injury during the first half of the Minnesota Timberwolves' 114-110 win over the Indiana Pacers.

  Edwards suffered the injury after converting a layup on a fast break just over three minutes into the game.

  Edwards has played in 426 out of a possible 445 games in his NBA career as one of the league's more durable stars.

• Anthony Edwards Leaves Game With Hamstring Injury

  Anthony Edwards left the Minnesota Timberwolves' 114-110 win over the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter due to hamstring tightness.

  Edwards suffered the injury after converting a layup on a fast break just over three minutes into the game.

  Edwards had five points and one rebound at the time of his injury.

• Anthony Edwards Chases 'Unstoppable' Status With Midrange Offseason Work

  Anthony Edwards told The Athletic he spent the offseason pursuing what he calls "unstoppable" status. Edwards worked extensively on his midrange game after the Minnesota Timberwolves lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in 2024 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025. Edwards believes becoming more versatile on offense will help him reach the level of peers like Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

  "Unstoppable," Edwards said. "As long as I can get to that point, I'm good."

  Edwards averaged 27.6 points last season while shooting 39.5 percent on 10 three-pointers per game. However, he shot just 36 percent on two-pointers outside the paint, limiting his intermediate options when defenses close off his three-ball and driving lanes.

  "All I want them to say is we couldn't guard him," Edwards said. "We. Could. Not. Guard. Shawty."

  After the Mavericks beat the Wolves behind Kyrie Irving and Dončić's versatile scoring in 2024, Edwards spent that summer improving his three-point shot. Last season, Oklahoma City's defense hounded his perimeter shooting and limited his impact by forcing midrange work.

  Edwards responded by specifically targeting his intermediate game during this offseason. He consulted with Michael Jordan about post footwork to develop a reliable fall-away jumper for late-game situations.

  "We got our ass kicked all around the board," Edwards said. "I think we're going to be pretty good this year."

  Mike Conley told Edwards that winning a championship requires elite perimeter defense. The message reflected the Timberwolves' organizational push for Edwards to excel on both ends of the floor.

  Rudy Gobert praised Edwards' improved conditioning and physical preparation. Assistant coach Chris Hines noted Edwards' obsessive focus on detail and film study this summer.

  "He wants to be Jordan-esque, Larry Bird-esque, Magic Johnson-esque," Timberwolves owner Alex Rodriguez said. "He knows the responsibility he has on his shoulders to put people around him."

  Edwards believes his basketball confidence is stronger than his natural athletic ability because he earned it through work rather than physical gifts alone. At 24, he is entering the age when Jordan won his first MVP and Dončić reached the Finals.

• Timberwolves Exercise 26-27 Options For Rob Dillingham, Terrence Shannon Jr

  The Minnesota Timberwolves exercised the 2026-27 rookie scale team options for guard Rob Dillingham and wing Terrence Shannon Jr. These were the third-year options for both players.

  Dillingham will now be on the cap sheet at $6.8 million for next season. Shannon will be on the books for $2.8 million.

• Wolves Convert Johnny Juzang To Two-Way Deal; Waive Jules Bernard, Alize Johnson, Tristen Newton, Zyon Pullin

  The Minnesota Timberwolves converted guard Johnny Juzang from his Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal. To open the two-way spot for Juzang, the Wolves waived guard Tristen Newton. Minnesota also waived guard Jules Bernard and Zyon Pullin, and forward Alize Johnson from their camp contracts.

  The Timberwolves roster is now set for the regular season. Minnesota has 14 players signed to standard contracts and three signed to two-way deals. The Wolves are carrying an open standard roster spot into the regular season.

• NBA Team Valuations Reach $5.51 Billion Average, Up 20 Percent From 2024

  The average NBA team is now worth $5.51 billion, up 20 percent year-over-year and 113 percent since 2022, according to Sportico's calculations. The collective value of all 30 franchises reached $165 billion, driven by a landmark $76 billion media rights agreement and strategic arena investments.

  Rick Welts, newly appointed Dallas Mavericks CEO, called the current moment unprecedented for league growth.

  "Never had a moment like this where you could be as optimistic as I am," Welts said in a video interview. "A lot of people are in this league, from an international perspective, from a media perspective, and I really feel like we have the best ahead of us."

  The Golden State Warriors maintained their five-year reign as the NBA's most valuable franchise at $11.33 billion, second globally only to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys at $12.8 billion. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped to second place at $10 billion after Mark Walter's pending acquisition at 16 times revenue, surpassing the New York Knicks at $9.85 billion. The average value-to-revenue multiple for the NBA is 13.5, ahead of the WNBA at 12.0, the NFL at 10.3 and MLS at 9.4.

  The Warriors' dominance stems from arena ownership, sponsorship revenue nearly double any other team, and their WNBA affiliate, the Golden State Valkyries, valued at $500 million. The Valkyries made history as the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season.

  The new media contract with Amazon, ESPN/ABC and NBC raises each team's annual television revenue from $103 million to $143 million, with seven-percent annual increases through 2036. The "get-in" price for franchise ownership-represented by the Memphis Grizzlies at $4 billion-has jumped 2.5 times since 2022, when it stood at $1.63 billion.

  Recent high-profile sales drove valuations across the board. The Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion in March, while the Lakers' pending deal at $10 billion set a new record for control sales in sports history. The Portland Trail Blazers agreement at $4.25 billion followed in August.

  The NBA is pursuing expansion in Europe in partnership with FIBA, potentially launching 16 teams with a fall 2027 tipoff. The league also plans to develop a Basketball Africa League with 12 teams and dedicated home arenas. Welts emphasized international opportunities as transformational for league economics.

  "The international opportunity is multiple of what the domestic U.S. sports market is," Welts said. "The technology will allow anybody, anywhere in the world to consume any NBA game."

  New arenas are under construction in Oklahoma City ($900 million, opening 2028) and Philadelphia (2030), with the Dallas Mavericks scouting sites following 24 years at the shared American Airlines Center.

  2025 NBA Team Valuations

  Rank	Team	2025 Valuation	1-Year Change
  1	Golden State Warriors	$11.33B	+24%
  2	Los Angeles Lakers	$10B	+24%
  3	New York Knicks	$9.85B	+19%
  4	Los Angeles Clippers	$6.72B	+18%
  5	Boston Celtics	$6.35B	+12%
  6	Brooklyn Nets	$6.22B	+9%
  7	Chicago Bulls	$6.12B	+10%
  8	Miami Heat	$6.03B	+21%
  9	Philadelphia 76ers	$5.61B	+23%
  10	Houston Rockets	$5.53B	+16%
  11	Dallas Mavericks	$5.24B	+17%
  12	Toronto Raptors	$5.22B	+12%
  13	Phoenix Suns	$5.09B	+18%
  14	Atlanta Hawks	$5.02B	+23%
  15	Sacramento Kings	$5B	+22%
  16	Cleveland Cavaliers	$4.86B	+23%
  17	Denver Nuggets	$4.8B	+18%
  18	Washington Wizards	$4.78B	+20%
  19	Indiana Pacers	$4.76B	+27%
  20	Milwaukee Bucks	$4.54B	+16%
  21	San Antonio Spurs	$4.5B	+19%
  22	Oklahoma City Thunder	$4.34B	+22%
  23	Utah Jazz	$4.27B	+16%
  24	Portland Trail Blazers	$4.25B	+18%
  25	Minnesota Timberwolves	$4.24B	+29%
  26	Orlando Magic	$4.21B	+22%
  27	Detroit Pistons	$4.17B	+21%
  28	Charlotte Hornets	$4.13B	+22%
  29	New Orleans Pelicans	$4.02B	+30%
  30	Memphis Grizzlies	$4B	+31%

• Joe Ingles Out One Week With Groin Injury

  Joe Ingles suffered a left groin strain, the Minnesota Timberwolves announced on Thursday.

  Ingles is set to be re-evaluated in one week.

  Ingles averaged 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in 19 games for the Wolves last season.

  The Wolves open their regular season October 22 against the Blazers.