Knicks have acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via Detroit, sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski. pic.twitter.com/FafQlY48Y1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 28, 2024

Knicks hated all the pre-season hype they had after getting Bridges, so they got KAT, too.

I'm sure it makes both teams better, but does it really?

Thibs was offered the choice between coaching Randle again or KAT, and he probably said, "I'll take KAT, but just for kicks"

Can't believe the Nova Knicks are giving up one of their guys.

Timberwolves were able to beat the Nuggets because they could put Towns on Jokic while Gobert floated off Gordon. They needed more depth, but I'm not sure this makes them better in either the regular season or postseason.

Quote:

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I'm sure it makes both teams better, but does it really?

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I'm not so sure. Lots of injury-prone guys on the Knicks and they traded away their depth.

C: Mitchell Robinson
PF: KAT
SF: OG Anunoby
SG: Bridges
PG: Brunson

Bench:

C: Jericho Sims
PF: Keita Bates Diop
SF: Josh Hart
SG: Miles McBride
PG: Tyler Kolek


That starting lineup is going to be killer. Their backups are Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and players to be named later.


MInnesota is a little interesting.

C: Gobert
PF: Randle
SF: Jalen McDaniels
SG: Ant
PG: Conley

Bench:

C: Naz Reid
PF: Joe Ingles
SF: Donte DiV
SG: NAW
PG: Dilly?

Randle has shot just 32% from three on high volume the last three years. Minnesota will definitely miss KAT's spacing.

And Robinson is already ruled out for several months, I think.

Probably opening the door for more Naz Reid minutes.

And the Knicks will be hurting on depth as Thibs doesn't develop it by stacking a lot of minutes on starters and limiting youth and depth development. And then in the playoffs, the media will lament the lack of bench for the Knicks.

Minn also got KBates-Diop.

So the Knicks traded or let go:

* Immanuel Quickley
* RJ Barrett
* Isaiah Hartenstein
* Bojan
* 24th pick (KyShawn George)
* 6 future firsts
* Julius Randle
* Donte DiVi

for:

* Precious
* KAT
* OG Anunoby
* Miles Bridges
* A few 2nds

They did consolidate talent, but I don't know that they got better appreciably better.

If the Wolves don't find a way to flip Randle for something else, this is an absolutely awful trade for them and even calling it a salary dump is generous.

I could be wrong, but this trade smells like a miss for both teams.

KAT is kinda great/kinda top-5 most frustrating players in the league. So talented and huge, but he does some of the dumbest ****, especially on defense. Now he is on a team with a bunch of dudes who fly around and try to smother teams. He seems to care a lot what others think of him, and his teammates look like they are ready to run through brick walls for reach other. If he buys into that? Could be scary good. Maybe he can?! Brunson deserves a good teammate.

Losing DeVincinzo is tough, but they have a lot of wings and KAT fills in more important gaps they had.



Minnesota is screwed, and I couldn't be more happy about it. Ant is a clown and Rudy is trash. I CANT WAIT to watch Ant stand in the corner while Julius Randle runs an 11 second iso on the wing and brick a 19 footer. I CANT WAIT to watch Randle and Gobert run into each other under the basket on offense.

Maybe they are actually going to just flip Randle. If i remember right, he's on a 1 year with a player option. I imagine Minny badly wants him to decline that option.

Yeah, I don't like it for either team, really.

As much as everyone likes having a guy like Donte, they already have a rotation of Ant/McDaniels/NAW. He will take minutes from NAW, but where are the minutes.

I thought Minnesota would blow up after this season.

Minny can't do anything u til they get out from the Gobert albatross, and even then, they will be thin on picks the rest of the decade

Ant and Naz. Thats it. That's all I like long term

I like McDaniels, too.

Naz gets paid next summer and he may be the starter this year and show he deserves a huge contract. Then what?

Only 1 team has cap space and that is Detroit with 10M. Teams that didn't use their MLE could absorb a contract with the MLE. That said, the only team with more tax than Minnesota's $77MM tax bill is Phoenix with 188MM.

Even if Minnesota did something dumb like offer DiVi to Detroit for Marcus Sasser, they would still be over the 2nd apron by like 9M.

Plus Gobert has two years left guaranteed and they have Naz Reid and NAW going free agent next summer.

If they don't pull off something brilliant trading Julius Randle, they are going to slowly implode over the next two years.

Deal still not official, I think they are trying to rope in other teams.

Here are the agreed trade details, per sources.

The trade call has not taken place yet.

New York receives: Karl-Anthony Towns (from MIN) and the draft rights of James Nnaji (from Charlotte)

Minnesota receives: Julius Randle (from NYK), Donte DiVincenzo (from NYK), Keita…

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) October 2, 2024