MINNEAPOLIS — Karl-Anthony Towns said he had a “warm feeling” again Thursday morning as he walked into the Target Center, but that couldn’t disguise how strange it was for him to enter the arena he entered as an away player Players called it home for the first time for nine seasons.

Towns will play his first game in Minnesota as a member of the New York Knicks on Thursday night, his first game against the Timberwolves since being traded days before the start of training camp in September.

“I know it’s going to be a lot,” Towns said with a laugh as he reflected on the emotions of the game later that evening. “But just appreciate every second, every moment and appreciate being back.”

Towns, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Wolves in the 2015 NBA Draft, said he still feels a strong connection to Minnesota, which includes keeping an eye on his former teammates from afar.

“I’m an avid Timberwolves fan, so I watch a lot of games when I get a chance,” Towns said. “They are still my brothers. They are still my boys. Just because a trade happened doesn’t mean I’ve lost love for them. The brotherhood will always be there.”

The Wolves and Knicks pulled off a blockbuster trade the weekend before training camp began, sending Towns to New York in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The trade came as a shock to Towns, who had spent his entire career in Minnesota, especially since the Wolves were fresh off a trip to the Western Conference Finals.

“I’m not used to landing in Minnesota and going to a hotel,” Towns said. “I don’t know, this has never happened since the day I was drafted.”

Towns said he spent the night at his home in Minnesota before the game and thought several times about how strange it would be to come through the visitors’ tunnel before the game.

Towns made some of his most impressive memories in a Wolves jersey, getting to play with Kevin Garnett during his rookie season, watching Derrick Rose drop 50 points in 2018, and Minnesota’s win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 The Wolves reached the conference finals for the second time in franchise history.

And when Towns was asked if he missed Minnesota, he didn’t shy away for a moment.

“Of course,” he said emphatically. “I was here for nine years. That’s a long time I’ve called this place home.”

On the court, Towns has settled in well with his new squad, averaging 24.8 points and a league-leading 13.9 rebounds on a career-high 53% shooting while shooting 44% from 3 would achieve a new career high in shooting from deep.

The Knicks enter Thursday with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, and the Wolves have found a groove after a slow start, winning six of their last seven games.

The two teams played a preseason game against each other in New York a few weeks after the trade, but Towns said that wouldn’t make Thursday’s game any easier emotionally. He reiterated that he wanted to enjoy the moment Thursday and cherish the memories he built in Minnesota.

“I’ve been through a lot, especially in the T-Wolves jersey,” Towns said. “I try to appreciate those moments that never come or come often. So I just want to be in a place in life where I look at things from a glass half full perspective. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to do this. “I’ll be back home and have so many great memories and being able to play here against guys that I played with.