Knicks trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, send Randle, DiVincenzo, first-round pick to Minnesota: sources

By Shams Charania, Jon Krawczynski, Fred Katz and Mark Puleo

The New York Knicks have acquired four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to league sources. Athletics. The Knicks will send Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick via the Detroit Pistons.

Towns, 28, has spent his entire nine-year career with the Timberwolves since being drafted No. 1 in the 2015 NBA Draft. He has averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in 2023-24, returning to All-Star form after missing much of the 2022-23 season with a knee injury.

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– Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024

Towns was “stunned” by the trade, according to a league source. He was training at the Timberwolves practice facility this week in preparation for one of the most anticipated seasons in Timberwolves history. The Wolves were coming off an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, and Towns believed he played a major role in the franchise’s plans to go further this season.

In Towns, the Knicks acquired the player they have been looking for for years. They contacted the Timberwolves about Towns a few years ago, last year and again afterward, according to league sources. Their gazes have wandered since team president Leon Rose took over in 2020 after leaving the basketball division of CAA, the agency that represents Towns. Now Rose finally has her man.

After winning 50 games last season, their most in a decade, the Knicks have taken significant steps to improve a team built around 28-year-old point guard Jalen Brunson. Beyond Towns, the team acquired wing Mikal Bridges in an early summer trade with the Brooklyn Nets and re-signed forward OG Anunoby, whose December addition was proved key in the Knicks’ rise to second place in the East.

Towns grew up a Knicks fan while living in New Jersey. He played for current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau when Thibs coached the Wolves from 2016 to 2018. That relationship was strained during Thibodeau’s tenure and after his departure, but Towns said a few years ago that he had evolved and that he had no resentment towards his former – and now current – ​​coach.

The Wolves are reshuffling their team with this trade. Towns was set to begin a four-year, $220 million max extension that would pay him more than $49 million this season. They essentially turned that into two players, with Randle making $29 million this season and DiVincenzo making $11.5 million.

The Wolves have long coveted the 27-year-old DiVincenzo, pursuing him fiercely during the 2023 free agency period. His shooting and defense will fit into the NBA’s best defensive team.

Randle, 29, is coming off a shoulder injury that required surgery in April. The three-time All-Star provides half-court scoring that could help 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 waiving his $30.3 million option for 2025-26.

The Pistons draft pick is ranked in the top 13 in 2025, top 11 in 2026 and top nine in 2027. If he isn’t passed on by then, he becomes a second-round pick.

As part of the deal, the Knicks will also send DaQuan Jeffries and future draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets, according to league sources. Athletics.

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 I’ll be able to be here with my brothers and continue what I love to do here at home. So that’s the plan, nothing has changed on my side. I love this city. I love this organization. I love this city. It gave me and my family my life.

What does this mean for the Knicks?

Towns brings a few pieces the Knicks desperately need, especially with Mitchell Robinson aiming for a December return at the earliest following offseason ankle surgery. There aren’t many 7-footers in NBA history with Towns’ shooting touch.

And the Knicks, who otherwise only have Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims as two healthy centers, now have help on the boards, an area Thibodeau wants to control as much as any coach in the league. —Fred Katz, National NBA Writer

What is Towns’ legacy in Minnesota?

It’s the end of an era in Minnesota. Towns has been a mainstay of the Wolves franchise since being picked No. 1 in the 2015 draft. He won NBA Rookie of the Year, was named to four All-Star teams and won two All-NBA selections. He was an active member of the community, organizing a drive that provided thousands of winter coats to youth in need and hosting underprivileged children for movie screenings and Christmas gifts. He has performed random acts of kindness, including buying a car for a fan who posted a GoFundMe on Twitter when theirs was stolen.

Towns suffered many losses early in his career and experienced constant organizational change. He had five coaches and seven general managers in his first seven years and a host of potential co-stars, including Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler and D’Angelo Russell. Then Anthony Edwards came along and proved to be the kind of star who could complement and coexist with Towns.

In an era when players asked without hesitation, Towns lived through all the turmoil — especially Butler’s boorish antics — and never asked for a trade. He remained loyal to the Wolves, often professing his desire to spend his entire career in Minnesota and see his jersey hung in the rafters. — Timberwolves beat writer Jon Krawczynski

How this changes Minnesota’s trajectory

The Wolves will have a tough time replacing Towns’ shooting and, perhaps surprisingly, his defense on Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. The team feels better able to contend for the long haul with the flexibility this deal provides.

Still, it’s a shocking decision that comes off arguably 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 superb defense against Jokić in the second round and giving the Wolves a needed offensive boost during their first-round sweep of Phoenix. He was the best shooter on the roster, big man or otherwise.

This trade completely changes the direction of the Wolves roster. It’s Edwards’ team moving forward, with Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid as the team’s core and veterans Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, DiVincenzo, Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker rounding it out.

The Wolves reached a deal to maximize Edwards’ window long-term, team sources said. Athletics. The Wolves wanted to ensure Edwards could be part of a competitive playoff team for much longer than the next two years and believe the flexibility afforded by this move will make that pursuit easier. Dealing Towns could also help them retain Reid, a very popular player in Minnesota who could become a free agent next summer. — Krawczynski

How do the Knicks make up for the losses of Randle and DiVincenzo?

The Knicks aren’t making this four-year return to proficiency without Randle, who signed with the franchise in the summer of 2019 and helped renovate its image over the past half-decade. He has made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams since arriving in New York. He provided a consistent 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and made passes that no one else on the team could attempt thanks to his size and strength. He gave the Knicks a unique piece at the position.

Of course, Towns can do the same — and does it as a 7-footer with an endless range of moves downfield.

DiVincenzo’s departure means the end of the “Nova Knicks” that never existed. He just broke the franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season, but Towns, a 40 percent shooter from long range, will make up for the Knicks’ lost spacing by taking on the team’s best sharpshooter. last season.

The Knicks aren’t as deep now. Before the trade, DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride were all expected to come off the bench. Now, DiVincenzo is gone, Hart appears to be the favorite to move into the starting lineup and McBride appears to have an increased role awaiting him.

In an instant, the identity of this team changed again. — Katz

Required reading

(Photo: David Berding/Getty Images)