Putting Leon Rose in charge of the Knicks will do nothing to squash the speculation that Karl-Anthony Towns will one day be the Knicks’ savior. The Timberwolves trading for D’Angelo Russell will help their chances of keeping Towns happy.
Knicks owner James Dolan is nearing a deal with Rose, a prominent agent at CAA, to replace the fired Steve Mills as team president. Rose currently represents Towns, along with several other star-quality players, and is well-respected throughout the league.
The Post’s Marc Berman previously reported the Knicks were hoping to be in good position to trade for a “disgruntled” superstar this offseason, with Towns being the dream scenario.
He seemed to hit a rock bottom with the Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
The star power forward watched Minnesota trade away one of their more pivotal players in Robert Covington — to the Rockets in a four-team deal — and sounded off after a loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night.
“I’ve been losing for a long time,” Towns told The Athletic. “I’m not trying to do that s–t anymore. So every possession means a lot. You obviously see my patience running low with a lot of things. There’s no excuses. We gotta get it done.”
The appeasement process, though, may have started Thursday when the Timberwolves acquired D’Angelo Russell from the Warriors, ESPN reported. Towns and Russell are close friends and have openly spoken of wanting to play together and with Suns star Devin Booker.
Towns, 24, is under contract through 2024 with four years and $131 million left on his contract after this season.
Like the Timberwolves, the Knicks have been synonymous with losing in recent seasons, and stars have passed on signing with them as the franchise’s reputation worsens under Dolan. The esteemed Rose could be the first step in changing that.