The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has signed forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns, the 1st overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, and guard Tyus Jones, the 24th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft out of Duke University.
The Wolves acquired the rights to Jones from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the draft rights to forwards Cedi Osman from Turkey and Rakeem Christmas from Syracuse, and Minnesota’s second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Towns, a 6-11 forward/center, averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.26 blocks and 21.1 minutes in 39 games (all starts) for the Wildcats this past season and was named SEC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-SEC. He shot 56.6 percent from the field, 81.3 percent from the free-throw line and recorded a team-best eight double-doubles.
Towns was a Consensus Second Team All-American and was named NCAA Midwest Region Most Valuable Player after leading Kentucky to the Final Four.
Jones, a 6-1 point guard, led Duke to the NCAA Championship this past season, averaging 11.8 points, a team-high 5.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds in his freshman year.
He was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in six games.