Written by Shams Charania, John Kroczynski, Fred Katz, Mark Puleo
The New York Knicks have acquired four-time All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, a league source tells The Athletic. The Knicks will send Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick to the Detroit Pistons.
Towns, 28, has spent his entire nine-year career with the Timberwolves since being the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the 2023-24 season, returning to All-Star status after missing most of the 2022-23 season with a knee injury.
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— Karl Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024
According to league sources, Towns was “stunned” by the trade. He was working out this week at the Timberwolves’ practice facility in preparation for one of the most anticipated seasons in Timberwolves history. The Timberwolves were close to making it to the Western Conference Finals and believed Towns was a key part of the franchise’s plans to take another step forward this season.
In Towns, the Knicks have acquired a player they have been pursuing for years. League sources say they reached out to the Timberwolves about Towns several years ago, last year and since then. Ever since Towns left the CAA basketball department, the organization that represents him, and team president Leon Rose took over in 2020, their eyes have wandered. Well, Rose finally got a boyfriend.
The Knicks, who won 50 games last season, the most in a decade, made important moves to upgrade a roster built around 28-year-old point guard Jalen Brunson. In addition to Towns, the team acquired winger Mikal Bridges in an early summer trade with the Brooklyn Nets and re-signed forward OG Anunoby, whose December addition will propel the Knicks to the No. 2 seed in the East. This proved to be the key to
Towns grew up a Knicks fan while living in New Jersey. He played for current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau when he managed the Timberwolves from 2016-18. The relationship was strained during Thibodeau’s tenure and after his departure, but Towns said several years ago that he has moved on and holds no ill will towards his former or current coach. spoke.
The Timberwolves will restructure their cap sheet with this trade. Towns is set to begin a four-year, $220 million contract extension that will pay him more than $49 million this season. They essentially turned it into two players, with Randle making $29 million this season and DiVincenzo making $11.5 million.
The Timberwolves have coveted the 27-year-old DiVincenzo for a long time and are looking hard to sign him during free agency in 2023. His shooting and defense would fit in with the best defensive teams in the NBA.
Donte DiVincenzo (left) and Julius Randle will play together in Minnesota this season. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Randle, 29, is recovering from a shoulder injury that required surgery in April. The three-time All-Star could provide some half-court scoring for a Timberwolves team that struggled to generate offense against the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals. Randle can become a free agent this summer by opting out of his $30.3 million option in 2025-26.
The Pistons’ draft picks will be protected to the top 13 in 2025, top 11 in 2026, and top 9 in 2027. If not notified by then, it will turn into a second-round pick.
As part of the deal, the Knicks will also send Daquan Jeffries and future draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets, league sources told The Athletic.
After the Timberwolves were eliminated in the conference finals, Towns was asked about his future in Minnesota.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m confident that I’ll be able to stay here with my brothers and continue doing what I love here at home. That’s the plan and nothing will change on my side. I love this city. I love this organization. It has given me life, me and my family.”
What does this mean for the Knicks?
Towns brings some desperately needed pieces to the Knicks, especially with Mitchell Robinson aiming to return as early as December after offseason ankle surgery. There aren’t many 7-footers in NBA history with Towns’ shooting touch.
And the Knicks, who otherwise only have two healthy centers in Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims, now have help on the board. It’s an area that Thibodeau wants to control as much as any coach in the league. — Fred Katz, National NBA Writer
What does Towns leave behind for Minnesota?
This is the end of Minnesota’s time. Towns has been a pillar of the Timberwolves franchise since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2015 draft. He earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors, was named to four All-Star teams, and earned two All-NBA selections. As a stand-up member of the community, he organized drives to deliver thousands of winter coats to young people in need and invited underprivileged children to movie screenings and Christmas presents. He performed random acts of kindness, like buying a fan’s car when it was stolen after he posted a GoFundMe on Twitter.
Towns experienced a lot of losses early in his career and constant turnover in the organization. He had five coaches and seven general managers in his first seven years, as well as a number of would-be co-stars, including Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler and D’Angelo Russell. Then Anthony Edwards arrived and proved to be the kind of star who could complement and coexist with Towns.
In an era where players made instant demands, Towns survived all the turmoil, especially Butler’s disrespectful attitude, and never asked for a trade. He remained loyal to the Wolves, spending his entire career in Minnesota and often professing a desire to see his jersey hung in the rafters. — John Kroczynski, Timberwolves beat writer
How will this change Minnesota’s trajectory?
The Timberwolves will have a hard time replacing Towns’ shooting and, perhaps surprisingly, defense of Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. The team feels it is well positioned to play the long game with the flexibility this deal provides.
Still, it’s a shocking move that comes in what is perhaps the best season in the franchise’s 36-year history. Towns was an integral part of Minnesota’s run to the Western Conference Finals, playing great defense against Jokic in the second round and giving the Timberwolves much-needed offensive power in their first-round sweep against Phoenix. He was the best shooter on the roster, big man or not.
This trade completely changes the focus of the Timberwolves’ roster. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid will form the core of the team, with veterans Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, DiVincenzo, Randle and Nickell-Alexander-Walker complementing that, which will be Edwards’ team going forward.
The Timberwolves signed Edwards to maximize their long-term availability, a team source told The Athletic. The Timberwolves want Edwards to be on a competitive playoff team for much longer than just the next two years, and believe the flexibility this move provides will help in that pursuit. Dealing Towns could also help retain Reed, a hugely popular player in Minnesota who could become a free agent next summer. — Kraczynski
How will the Knicks make up for the loss of Randle and DiVincenzo?
The Knicks would not have been able to return to full potential over the past four years without Randle, who signed with the team in the summer of 2019 and has helped revamp the team’s image over the past five years. Since coming to New York, he has slipped into three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams. He provided a solid 20 points and 10 boards per game and made passes that no one else on the team could even attempt due to his size and strength. He gave the Knicks something unique in his post.
Of course, Towns can do the same. And as a 7-footer, he does it with endless down-low moves.
DiVincenzo’s departure marks the end of the Nova Knicks that never existed. He just broke the franchise record for 3-pointers in a season, but Towns, a 40 percent long-range shooter, will make up for the space the Knicks lost by dealing with last season’s top sniper.
The Knicks don’t have that much depth right now. Before the trade, DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride were expected to come off the bench. Now, with DiVincenzo gone and Hart appearing to be the frontrunner for a spot in the starting lineup, McBride appears to have a bigger role in store.
In an instant, the identity of this team changed again. — Katz
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(Photo: David Berding/Getty Images)
