The Knicks are about to begin a West Coast road trip but could be without one of their best players. Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Warriors due to personal reasons and could miss the upcoming trip.
New York head coach Tom Thibodeau spoke about Towns’ absence, saying he didn’t know if KAT would make the West Coast trip and that the Knicks’ star center “needs some time, and when he’s ready to come back, he’ll come back.” Towns played Sunday against the Heat and finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds in the 116-112 overtime win.
Here are the latest updates on why Towns is out and when he can be expected back.
SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
Why is Karl-Anthony Towns out?
The Knicks take on the Warriors on Tuesday night before hitting the road for a five-game road trip. If Towns doesn’t make the trip with the team, he will have missed six games over 11 days due to personal reasons.
For now, that’s all we know about Towns’ absence.
There is no guarantee that Towns will miss the trip entirely. Even if he doesn’t travel initially, he could travel to meet the team on the West Coast over the next two weeks.
Mitchell Robinson will start in Towns’ place against Golden State. The Knicks are 40-20 and in third place in the Eastern Conference.
Update: After missing one game, Towns “will be available” on Thursday against the Lakers, per Ian Begley.
Karl-Anthony Towns 2024-2025 stats
Towns is in his first season with the Knicks. He was acquired ahead of the season in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a first-round pick heading back to the Timberwolves. Even with a new team, KAT looks like himself, averaging 24.5 points and 13.4 rebounds per game this season.
- 54 games
- 24.5 points per game
- 13.4 rebounds per game
- 3.1 assists per game
- 53% FG percentage
- 42.5% 3FG percentage
Upcoming Knicks schedule
Here are the Knicks’ next 10 games. After Golden State on Tuesday night, seven of New York’s next nine games will be on the road.
DateOpponentMar. 4vs. Golden StateMar. 6at LakersMar. 7at ClippersMar. 10at KingsMar. 12at Trail BlazersMar. 15at WarriorsMar. 17vs. HeatMar. 19at SpursMar. 20at HornetsMar. 22vs. Wizards
