Karl-Anthony Towns is headed to New York, Julius Randle is headed to Minnesota along with Donte DiVincenzo and a future draft pick, and the NBA is heating up just days before training camps open. Which team won Friday night’s blockbuster? Let’s break it down.
1. Who won the Knicks-Wolves trade?
And Titus: The Wolves. The Knicks got the best player in the deal (Karl-Anthony Towns), but evaluating the whole of this trade, Minnesota gets the advantage to create financial flexibility and add more depth to its roster. Let’s not forget that Julius Randle is just two years removed from being an All-NBA player and Donte DiVincenzo was one of the most efficient 3-point shooters last season.
Keeping Towns was unrealistic, given the need to retain Naz Reid and Nikeil Alexander-Walker. Netting Randle on an expiring $28 million contract and securing DiVincenzo through the 2026-27 season filled the gap of losing KAT for the short and long term. And if the Pistons’ protected first-round pick cashes in, that could be another huge asset for the Wolves.
Dan Devine: … Everyone? No one?
I keep thinking about Sheriff Jim Hopper’s definition of compromise: “It’s kind of in-between. It’s like halfway happy.” That’s how I imagine many Knicks and Wolves fans feel after a deal that fundamentally changes the identities of two teams with championship aspirations.
The Knicks’ biggest questions heading into this season were how they would fill their hole in the middle after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and with Mitchell Robinson still recovering from foot surgery, and how they would reintegrate Julius Randle into the Knicks fabric. a roster that almost made the Eastern Conference finals without him. This deal answers the former and downplays the latter, all while pairing All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson with an elite 28-year-old stretch big — one whose (admittedly gigantic) contract. continues through 2027-28lining him up with core pieces Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and, presumably, an extended Mikal Bridges – in an offense that could be one of the NBA’s best.
The Wolves, on the other hand, had to try to figure out how to improve an offense that finished 17th last season, and how to bolster a depth chart that looked to be a little too reliant on rookies and aging vets, all while looking down. the barrel of giant luxury tax bills with the contracts of Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert on the books. This deal imports an All-Star-caliber power in Randle who can create shots for teammates and an elite high-volume 3-point shooter and quality defender in DiVincenzo, and does so for less than what Cities cost this year while also offering Minnesota more flexibility (and another tradeable first-round pick) to build around Edwards in the coming years.
Should “the next few years” be the primary consideration for a Wolves team that just made the Western Conference finals, though? And with everything in spacing, shooting and offensive creation, could the Knicks move away from the ground-and-pound identity that helped bring them back to relevance? Big questions – and, with them, maybe big causes for to shake.
Ben Rohrbach: The teams just exchanged topics. No team wanted to pay an existing star who was struggling with injuries and playoff confidence, so why not see if the grass is greener on the other side?
Randle is a little more versatile — and makes a little more sense next to Rudy Gobert — but he’s far from the floor splitter that is Towns. Is Randle negatively affecting Anthony Edwards’ ability to navigate the court? Additional assets, including Donte DiVincenzo, sweeten the pot.
The Knicks needed a center and flipped Randle for another All-Star big who fits their roster better, even if Towns isn’t a rim protector. From a pure talent standpoint, Towns is the superior player. New York’s offense should be phenomenal. But how does the departure of Randle and the exit of one of the ‘New Knicks affect team chemistry that was once the team’s greatest strength?
I think the Knicks won the deal, but there’s a chance no team did.
2. Where do the Knicks rank among title contenders?
Rohrbach: This agreement brings the Knicks closer to the Celtics in the East. It certainly cements them as the conference’s biggest threat to Boston’s repeat – ahead of Philadelphia. New York’s hole in the center was that striking in the wake of the exit of Isaiah Hartenstein and the injury of Mitchell Robinson. It raises their talent level. It doesn’t solve their defense. Boston still has a weakness to attack.
There was a 14-game gap between the Celtics and Knicks last season. In theory, putting Towns and Mikal Bridges in alongside Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby pretty much closes that gap. In practice, the addition of Towns, in particular, changes the chemistry enough that it could matter in a playoff series against the continuity of the Celtics. But they gave themselves a chance.
Title: BetMGM has the Knicks with the third shortest odds to win the championship, and that’s fair. The Knicks’ talent is undeniable, but success depends on their ability to stay healthy. Mitchell Robinson will already miss the start of the season, and OG Anunoby has failed to play more than 50 games in three of his seven seasons in the league. Coach Thibs’ notoriously heavy workload helps pile up regular season wins, but that style often flares once the postseason arrives.
Divinely: In the same tier as before, I think – below the Celtics in the East, right along with the 76ers and Bucks, right in front of the Pacers/Cavaliers/Magic collective. A Knicks offense built around a Brunson-Towns two-man game with Bridges and Anunoby in the corners could absolutely burn opposing defenses; Knicks defense built around Brunson and Towns scoring targeted in the two-man game could prove flammable, especially against the defending champion Celtics.
I’m also concerned about how the loss of DiVincenzo will impact New York’s second unit. This deal feels like a sizable vote of confidence in Deuce McBride, and while I think he deserves it, the Knicks right now feel a little shallow — perhaps a glaring concern for a team now extremely reliant on Towns and Anunoby, who missed a combined 213. regular- season games over the past four years.
3. Where do the Wolves rank among title contenders?
Divinely: Again: probably about where they used to be – below Oklahoma City, in the mix with Dallas, Denver and a resurgent Memphis.
DiVincenzo feels perfect in what could be the best second unit in the league, but while I think Randle gets a bad rap, he is an unquestionable detractor from KAT as a shooter, which could only further complicate Minnesota’s half-court offense by clogging up. Ant’s driving routes and Gobert’s rim-rolls. The good news is that Chris Finch is one of the league’s best head coaches at figuring things out; the bad news, however, is that there still seems to be a lot to figure out to get these Wolves to the top of the mountain.
Title: Fifth. The Timberwolves are behind the Celtics, Thunder, Knicks and Sixers. Randle’s integration period will take time. However, they have a deep enough roster to mix and match lineups, big and small, to be a 50-win team and make a run at a championship.
Rohrbach: The Wolves were already serious title contenders, largely dependent on the rise of Anthony Edwards. That doesn’t change. DiVincenzo adds depth to an already deep rotation, and, if Randle can stay healthy, that should carry them to a ton of regular-season wins. They won 56 games last season, and 60 feels within reach. They should once again capture another high seed, and as last year’s win against the defending champion Denver Nuggets proved, they can beat anyone in a series — as long as Randle’s playoff streak doesn’t surpass Towns’ own history.
