Karl-Anthony Towns has mutual interest with rival team?

After yet another season of failing to get out of the first round in Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns may already be formulating his exit plan.

Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports reported Thursday that the New York Knicks have been eyeing a potential trade for Towns for “a while.” Deveney also quoted a league source as saying that Towns may share their interest.

“The interest in making that happen would be mutual, for sure,” the source said of the possible move. “KAT and the Knicks are intertwined. To some people, it is more a matter of when they go after him, not if.”

Towns has plenty of links to prominent Knicks figures. Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau previously coached Towns and the Wolves, while Knicks president Leon Rose, formerly of Creative Arts Agency, used to be Towns’ agent. Towns also went to college at Kentucky, where some other Knicks players (like Julius Randle and Immanuel Quickley) came from as well.

The obvious caveat is that Towns is the Wolves' homegrown franchise star and begins a new four-year, $224 million extension with them next season. But the Wolves managed to survive while Towns missed most of this season with a calf injury by running the offense through Anthony Edwards (who is six years younger) instead. Towns’ fit with fellow 7-footer Rudy Gobert has also proved to be shaky at best thus far.

The Knicks have indeed been linked to Towns in trade rumors for years now. Although there is a lot to like about their current core as the Knicks are now in the second round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade, Towns may be their most coveted trade target if they still feel the need to make an upgrade.