In a move that took the NBA by surprise, the New York Knicks engineered a three-way trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Charlotte Hornets to bring Karl-Anthony Towns to New York City.
There were rumblings that the Knicks were interested in Towns way back into 2023, as the Knicks were seeking one more star-quality player to lead the team in their quest for an NBA championship. Towns is from the New York area, and New York Knicks president Leon Rose has always considered him a good fit for their offense. Towns is very familiar with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeaux’s demands as a coach after playing for him in Minnesota years ago.
The Timberwolves were inspired to make this trade as they are going through a very difficult financial and own ownership crisis. The ownership group led by Alex Rodriguez is in a battle with current owner Glen Taylor and getting rid of Towns’ salary was incredibly important as neither of the two sides wanted to be saddled with financial hardship that was not letting the team make any moves.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks celebrates scoring against the Toronto Raptors during their game at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2023 in New York City. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The essence of the trade is that Towns heads to the Knicks for Julius Randle, Dante DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick. Other minor players were also involved. The Hornets were brought in at the very end to make this a three-way deal, and they received a bunch of second-round draft picks. But the keys in this trade were Towns, Randle, and DiVincenzo.
Looking at it from the Knicks’ perspective, Towns really helps them space the floor, and his three-point shooting percentage is exceptional for a big man. With Mitchell Robinson unavailable as he recovers from injury and Isaiah Hartenstein now with Oklahoma City, the Knicks were desperate for a big man.
From the Timberwolves perspective, Randle is a very similar player to Towns in that he is a big man who can shoot 3-pointers as well as get 8 to 10 rebounds a game. Randle also allows Rudy Gobert to be the defensive presence that he needs to be by not clogging the lane and giving Gobert room to operate. The key to this trade for the Timberwolves may be DiVincenzo. His ability to play defense and to shoot 3-pointers in the Knicks playoff run last season was incredible. There were times when he basically put the team on his back after the Knicks had suffered a myriad of injuries. DiVincenzo was the odd man out in the Villanova experiment as the Knick added Mikal Bridges to the team, leaving fewer minutes for DDV. DDV will be the perfect foil for Anthony Edwards, as he can hit those 3-pointers if Edwards kicks it back out to him as he drives the lane. Getting a first-round pick in the deal works out well for Minnesota too as they get out of their cap issues and have more flexibility moving forward.
This trade is certainly a win-win for both franchises and hopefully will allow them to continue on their quest to make the NBA Finals.