The NBA is heating up just days before the start of training camp, with Karl-Anthony Towns heading to New York and Julius Randle heading to Minnesota along with Donte DiVincenzo and future draft picks. Which team won Friday night’s big trade? Let’s break it down.
1. Who won the Knicks-Wolves trade?
Dan Titus: Wolves. The Knicks got the best player (Karl-Anthony Towns) in this trade, but evaluating this trade as a whole gives Minnesota an advantage in terms of creating financial flexibility and adding depth to the roster. Become. Julius Randle is two years away from becoming an All-NBA player, and let’s not forget that Donte DiVincenzo was one of the most effective 3-point shooters last season.
Retaining Towns was unrealistic given the need to retain Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Signing Randle to a $29 million contract (with a $31 million player option next year) and securing DiVincenzo through the 2026-27 season could more than fill the void left by the loss of KAT. And if they can acquire the Pistons’ protected first-round pick, it could be another huge asset for the Timberwolves.
Dan Devine: …everyone? No one?
I keep thinking about Sheriff Jim Hopper’s definition of compromise. I feel like I’m halfway happy. ”I imagine that’s how many Knicks and Timberwolves fans feel after a deal that fundamentally changes the identity of both teams as they strive for a championship.
The Knicks’ biggest questions heading into this season are how they will fill the hole in the middle, as they lost Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson is still recovering from foot surgery; The question was how to reintegrate Julius Randle into the team’s organization. This is a roster that almost made it to the Eastern Conference Finals without him. This deal answers the former and makes the latter irrelevant while pairing All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson with a 28-year-old elite stretch big. That (admittedly huge) contract runs through 2027-2028 and will line up with a core roster of players. Brunson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and possibly an extended Mikal Bridges could form one of the best offenses in the NBA.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves must figure out how to improve an offense that finished 17th last season and how to shore up their depth, which seems to rely a little too much on rookies and aging veterans. There wasn’t. A barrel containing a giant luxury tax bill with contracts for Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. The deal imports Randle, an All-Star power forward who can create shots for his teammates, and DiVincenzo, a high-volume, elite 3-point shooter and quality defender, for less than what Towns will cost this year. also offers Minnesota at a lower price. Flexibility (and another tradeable first-round draft pick) to build around Edwards for the next few years.
But for a Timberwolves team that just made it to the Western Conference Finals, should the next few years be a top consideration? And with an all-out focus on spacing, shooting, and offensive creation, will the Knicks come to regret moving away from the ground-and-pound identity that helped get them back on track? Big questions, and with them, potentially big sources of anxiety.
Ben Rohrbach: The teams just traded questions. Since neither team wanted to pay for an established star struggling with injuries or playoff confidence, 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 a floor spacer like Towns. Will Randle negatively impact Anthony Edwards’ on-court ability? Additional assets such as Donte DiVincenzo make him even more appealing.
The Knicks needed a center, and even though Towns wasn’t a rim protector, they flipped Randle and got another All-Star big who would be a better fit for their roster. From a pure talent standpoint, Towns is a good player. New York’s offense should be phenomenal. But how will Randle’s departure and the departure of another Nova Knick member affect the team’s chemistry, which was once the team’s greatest strength?
I think the Knicks won the contract, but it’s also possible that neither team won it.
2. Where do the Knicks rank among title contenders?
Rohrbach: This deal moves the Knicks closer to the Celtics in the East. That certainly cements them as the conference’s biggest threat to a repeat of Boston, ahead of Philadelphia. New York’s hole in the middle became more apparent following the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein and injury to Mitchell Robinson. It increases their level of talent. It doesn’t solve their defense. Boston still has weaknesses on offense.
Last season, there was a 14-game difference between the Celtics and Knicks. In theory, inserting Towns and Mikal Bridges alongside Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby would close the gap considerably. In reality, the addition of Towns in particular changes the chemistry enough that it could be important in a playoff series against the Celtics’ continuation. But they gave themselves a chance.
Titus: BetMGM has the Knicks third-least likely to win, but that’s fair. The Knicks’ talent is undeniable, but their success will depend on their ability to stay healthy. Mitchell Robinson has already missed 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. Thisbus’ notoriously heavy workload has helped him rack up wins in the regular season, but his style often comes under fire in the postseason.
Devine: I think it’s the same demographic as before. In the East, they’re below the Celtics, along with the 76ers and Bucks, and just above the Pacers/Cavaliers/Magic bunch. Built around a Brunson-Towns duo with Bridges and Anunoby in the corners, the Knicks’ offense is capable of completely destroying opposing defenses. The Knicks’ defense built around Brunson and Towns could come under fire when targeted in two-man games, especially against the defending champion Celtics.
It will also be interesting to see how the loss of DiVincenzo will affect New York’s second unit. This deal feels like quite a vote of confidence in Deuce McBride, and I think he deserves it, but the Knicks are feeling a little shallow right now. It’s a potential obvious concern for a team that relies heavily on Towns and Anunoby, who have missed a combined 213 games. Regular season games from the past four years.
3. Where do the Wolves rank among title contenders?
Devine: Again, probably about where they were before. Below Oklahoma City, it’s a mix of Dallas, Denver, and a resurgent Memphis.
I feel like DiVincenzo is a perfect fit on what is probably the best second unit in the league, but I think Randle gets a bad rap, but as a shooter he’s unarguably downgraded from KAT, and that’s the best thing about Minnesota. It will only further complicate the team’s half-court offense. Ant driving lane and Gobert rim roll. The good news is that Chris Finch is one of the best head coaches in the league who is good at figuring things out. But the bad news is that it looks like there’s still a lot to be worked out to get these Wolves to the top of the mountain.
Titus: Fifth. The Timberwolves are behind the Celtics, Thunder, Knicks, and Sixers. Randle’s integration period will take time. However, they have combined the big and small lineups into a 50-win team and have enough depth to make a run at the championship.
Rohrbach: The Wolves were already serious title contenders and relied primarily on Anthony Edwards’ breakthrough. That doesn’t change. DiVincenzo adds depth to an already deep rotation, and if Randle can stay healthy, he should be able to pick up a ton of wins in the regular season. They won 56 games last season and feel 60 wins is within reach. They need to earn a top seed again, and unless Randle’s playoff woes exceed Towns’ own history, as last year’s win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets proved, they will be in the series. You can win against anyone.