Globetrotting Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns working on 'secretive stuff'

Karl-Anthony Towns' off-season has taken him to Europe and back again and all around this country…and it's not even technically summer yet.

Photo credit/ Colin Young-Wolff/Associated Press for Activision

Straight off the plane from Denmark, Towns was in Los Angeles Tuesday to promote video game Call of Duty's new World War II version at the Electronic Entertainment Expo just a three-pointer away from Staples Center.

While in Europe for the first time, Towns visited Paris and the Mona Lisa with his mom, dad and girlfriend and spent a day at the French Open catching an Andy Murray match in a trip that was part vacation, part work doing a clinic and promotions for the NBA.

Back home in the U.S.A., he played and promoted the video game Tuesday so new he hasn't yet played it remotely with his teammates.

Wolves players scattered all over after the season ended, but he keeps in touch with Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and Andrew Wiggins, to name three, by playing video games remotely with each other, no matter where they are.

"It's a great way to stay in contact and also stay competitive with each other," Towns said.

He has spent some time in the gym with LaVine and Wiggins as well during returns to Minneapolis, which he says he'll visit often this summer. He said he has already got some golf in at Hazeltine National and prestigious Spring Hill.

After he did his promotional work on Tuesday, Towns plans to return home to New Jersey for a summer camp before coming back to work out at the Wolves' downtown practice facility.

"I'll spend a good amount of my summer in Minneapolis," Towns said from Los Angeles. "I've been there quite a lot. I've always enjoyed Minneapolis. I'm trying to get back soon."

LaVine is spending much of the summer in Minneapolis while he recovers from February surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate knee ligament.

"I've seen Zach a lot," Towns said. "He's looking great. He's healing really well. He's working hard. He's definitely put him ahead of schedule. I'm glad he's doing so well."

In between touring Europe and fulfilling his business obligations on two continents, Towns said he always finds time to get his court work in and add some moves to his game.'

"I've got some things I've been looking at and I want to do," Towns said. "It's going to be really cool to show it off."

He declined to say specifically what he's working on.

"Always secretive stuff," he said. "Nobody knew I had the one-legged fadeaway until I pulled it out. I always have something in my toolbox waiting to come out."

He's uncertain if he'll be back in Minneapolis for the June 22 draft, but confirmed there's been discussion about Wolves players gathering in Las Vegas in July during the NBA's summer league. It's Tom Thibodeau's idea to nurture some team building.

As for the draft and the NBA's approaching free-agency period, Towns said Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden haven't sought his advance.

"I stay in the distance, but I'm keeping track," Towns said, referring to potential players the Wolves could draft with the seventh overall pick. "Seeing what we may need and how everything will fall for us."

Just what do the Wolves need, other than improved shooting, defense and depth?

That's more for us internally, you know?" Towns said. "We'll see what happens."