Minnesota
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t know what Minnesota greeting will be with trade emotions still raw
ORLANDO — NBA seasons are like dog years.
And nine with the same team is rare, especially in Adam Silver’s era of player empowerment/movement.
To put it in local perspective, the last Knick to play nine seasons with the franchise was Allan Houston — roughly 20 years ago — and he missed 94 of his last 164 games.
It translated to a run of 16 years and counting as a Knicks executive for Houston, a position with excellent job security, having survived several regime changes.
Karl-Anthony Towns returns Thursday to the Target Center in a similar context.
He was drafted first overall by the Timberwolves in 2015 and sits No. 2 on the franchise’s all-time list of points, rebounds and blocks.
Until Anthony Edwards alters the order, the list of greatest Timberwolves starts No. 1 Kevin Garnett and No. 2 Towns, without much debate.
Despite this history, Towns said he’s unsure how Thursday’s crowd will react to his return.
He also passionately defended his commitment to the franchise that traded him in October.
“I don’t know (how they will embrace me). But I know that every single day that I put on that Timberwolves jersey I gave the absolute best of me even when I wasn’t 100 percent,” Towns said after his latest double-double with the Knicks, a victory Sunday over the Magic. “I gave them all of me mentally, physically, spiritually. I was there nine years, so I go there with a lot of pride and joy for the memories that I have.”
Towns then referenced his final moment with the organization in May, when the T-Wolves were eliminated in the conference finals and he emotionally blew kisses to the crowd.
On the eve of training camp, the 29-year-old was traded for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
“I know the last time I was there, I looked myself in the mirror and I knew I gave the state, the city, the organization over there everything I could possibly give and even found myself giving more than I thought I had,” said Towns, who returned for the playoffs last season from a torn meniscus. “So I was proud of the man that I presented over there in a Timberwolves jersey. You never know how the fans will respond. But I know for me, my household, I know what I gave that organization, and I am happy and proud for what I was able to do.”
Towns’ stint was polarizing — there was a lot of losing packed into nine years — but there’s little doubt Minnesotans will give him a standing ovation with a video tribute.
His departure was about dumping payroll to avoid salary cap hell, not about his play or attitude.
He was also part of the organization’s only playoff appearances since 2004 and signed two extensions.
The better question is how Towns’ game will respond to the extra layers of distractions.
“We’ve got a win to get so I better handle it accordingly, for sure,” Towns said. “Like I said, I don’t know, I can’t imagine myself even in a situation like this but here we are.”
Underscoring Towns’ surprise about being traded, he had slimmed down in the offseason with the belief he’d again play power forward next to Rudy Gobert.
But then he was abruptly shipped to New York to play center and, unsurprisingly given the Knicks’ lack of depth, is now averaging his most minutes since 2018.
“What you’re seeing now is a lot of hours in the summer I put in,” said Towns, who is averaging 24.8 points with 13.9 rebounds and is easily on pace for his fifth All-Star selection, perhaps in his first start. “Instead of having fun, I was in the gym working on my body, working on my game, working on my cardio. I’m happy I put that work in because obviously things got real crazy to start the season.”
Towns added: “You’re a four and then the next thing you know you’re a five. I had to do whatever I had to do. I’m not going to say I got heavier but I definitely knew what I had to do.”
The emotions on the other side of the trade are a little more complicated and tinged with animosity.
After helping resurrect the franchise from two decades of mostly misery, Randle never got his second contract extension and was instead shipped off just days after helping open a school in The Bronx.
The last time he was at the Garden, Randle said his chapter with the Knicks was closed.
“It’s finished now,” he said. “I got unfinished business where I’m at.”
DiVincenzo was shocked and upset about being traded just a year into a four-season contract.
His preseason return to the Garden included a couple heated moments with the Knicks bench.
Thursday is the rematch with regular-season implications.
“I think [Donte] is going to try to come in and kick our ass,” Josh Hart said. “I think Julius is going to try to come in and do the same. As they should. I think KAT will probably come in with a chip on his shoulder also.
“You know that is going to happen. You know it is going to be a fun game.”
The very early returns of the trade have certainly been positive for the Knicks, who are getting elite scoring and defensive rebounding production from Towns while sitting third in the East at 16-10.
The Timberwolves (14-11) have also started to pick it up with six wins in their past seven games.
Randle is playing well with averages of 20.1 points on 48 percent shooting in 33 minutes — especially considering he missed most of last season with a dislocated shoulder — while DiVincenzo is struggling mightily with a 35 percent field-goal rate.
“It’s a big trade, so you expect people to be comparing it until the end of time,” Towns said. “It’s just my job to do what I can control, which is be the best version of myself possible for this team and helping this team succeed. Obviously the comparisons will be up to ya’ll. My job will be making sure I take care of my end.”
And on Thursday, the extra task is navigating the unpredictable emotions of returning to a very familiar place.
“You say this like I’m used to this s–t,” Towns smiled. “I’ve seen people traded. I’ve never been traded.”
KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota
The political feud between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is frequently documented.
While both try to score political points with their criticism of each other, neither has much in the way of bragging rights when it comes to approval ratings in Minnesota.
According to our exclusive KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, the president has a 42% approval rating in Minnesota with 55% disapproval. That 13-point difference is six points worse than our last survey three months ago.
Trump retains the approval of 89% of Republicans but just 35% of independents.
“Trump is always running a bit below the national average in job approval in Minnesota and that is the case here,” says Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier. However, the newest Associated Press/Reuters poll showed the president with a 39% approval rating and 59% disapproval, slightly better than his Minnesota results.
The president’s approval is bogged down by a 43% approval of his handling of the economy.
Gov. Walz doesn’t fare much better in our survey. For the second survey in a row, Walz is at 48% approval and 48% disapproval. Those ratings are his lowest in the 20 times we’ve surveyed his approval in the past four years. He’s seeking an unprecedented third four-year term as governor of Minnesota.
“Gov. Walz’s approval puts him in sort of a flashing yellow light zone,” says Schier. “There’s some danger ahead. He’s below 50% approval.”
The Walz approval numbers are weighed down by just 14% who say he’s done enough to stop state government fraud.
Our survey included 35% Democrats, 31% Republicans and 29% independents.
SurveyUSA interviewed 650 adults from the state of Minnesota 12/09/25 through 12/12/25. Of the adults, 578 were identified as being registered to vote and were asked the questions which follow. This research was conducted online, using nonprobability sample of online adult panelists chosen randomly by Cint USA. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census ACS targets for gender, age, race, education, and home ownership.
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management and
Gov. Tim Walz
recently announced the signing of a cannabis cooperative agreement with
Red Lake Nation.
According to a release, the agreement outlines how the state of Minnesota and Red Lake Nation will protect the public health, safety and well-being of all Minnesotans regarding adult-use cannabis and supports Red Lake Nation’s tribal sovereignty, cultural identity and heritage.
“This partnership opens a new outlet for state-licensed cannabis businesses to access and sell legal cannabis and honors the independence of the members of the Red Lake Band,” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said in the release. “We look forward to their cooperation in bringing more cannabis supply to the state and seeing their cannabis operations develop and thrive while respecting the Red Lake Band’s autonomy.”
In Minnesota’s cannabis law, the legislature directed Walz to negotiate intergovernmental agreements with tribal nations sharing territory with Minnesota to strengthen public health and safety, secure an equitable and well-regulated cannabis market, and provide financial benefits to both the state and tribal nations.
Red Lake’s NativeCare dispensary
was the first in the state to sell legal, adult-use cannabis after the law legalizing cannabis took effect in August 2023. With this agreement in place, Red Lake is able to collaborate with state-licensed cannabis businesses and create partnerships.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to produce the highest quality cannabis products that are free of all toxins and impurities. Consistent testing has verified that we have reached our goal,” Red Lake Nation Chair Darrell Seki Sr. said in the release. “Now that our cooperative agreement with the state has been finalized, we are looking forward to sharing our top-shelf products with the Minnesota market.”
Compact negotiations continue between the state and tribal nations sharing territory with the state of Minnesota. To date, the state has signed compacts with White Earth Nation, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Prairie Island Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
The state expects to announce additional tribal-state cannabis agreements soon.
Copies of signed, executed tribal-state cannabis compacts and cooperative agreements can be found on
OCM’s website.
The former NFL sideline reporter has met with top Republican committees as she weighs a 2026 bid and a rare GOP pickup attempt in Minnesota.
Michele Tafoya, the former NFL sideline reporter turned political analyst, is considering a run for the United States Senate in her current home state of Minnesota, OutKick has learned. Sources familiar with the situation say she is expected to make a final decision in early 2026.
Tafoya met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), Senate Leadership Fund, and other stakeholders in Washington, D.C. last week. The NRSC has been recruiting her to run for the Senate race in Minnesota, where the Democratic primary has pitted progressive favorite Peggy Flanagan against Chuck Schumer-backed Angie Craig.
Tafoya gave up her NBC career so she could speak more openly about her conservative political beliefs. The breaking point for Tafoya at the media giant came in December 2021 when she appeared on “The View” and served as the conservative panelist. The rest of the cast on the show supported Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protest, and his assertion that the NFL resembled the slave trade, while Tafoya raised some important counterpoints.
“I’ve been covering the NFL for 25 years,” Tafoya said at the time. “Nobody forces these guys to play. I thought comparing it to the slave trade was a little rough. These guys enter willingly, they are the most well cared for people. Yes, they play a hard sport. And every one of them — black, white, Latino, whoever’s playing the sport — will tell you how much they love it, and they’re willing to do it, and they make a damn good living.”
Former NFL reporter Michele Tafoya is weighing a Minnesota U.S. Senate bid after meetings with GOP groups, with a final decision expected early next year.
(Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images)
Tafoya nnounced in February 2022 that she wanted to pursue other career opportunities. Shortly after, she became the co-chair for Republican Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls when he ran against Tim Walz in 2022.
Tafoya’s Rise in Minnesota Politics
Since then, Tafoya has become more active politically, particularly in Minnesota. Tafoya has taken Walz and Rep. Ilhan Omar to task many times over their policies and rhetoric. Most recently, Tafoya has railed against a $1 billion fraud scheme in Minnesota that she linked to Walz and Omar.
Tafoya grew up in California and attended UC Berkeley for her undergraduate degree and USC for her master’s degree. She moved to Minnesota after graduation to pursue a career in sports broadcasting and has lived in the state since.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Tafoya has been receiving calls from supporters in Minnesota encouraging her to run, and she’s had ongoing conversations with South Carolina Sen. and NRSC Chairman, Tim Scott.
Minnesota hasn’t had a Republican senator since Norm Coleman, who left office in January 2009. Should Tafoya choose to run, she’d look to reverse a trend that has continued for over 15 years.
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