On September 27th, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves made a blockbuster trade. The Knicks traded forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo, and a top-13 protected first round pick that was acquired earlier this year from the Detroit Pistons. As for the Timberwolves, center Karl Anthony-Towns was sent to balance the trade out. This trade comes as a ‘shocker,’ since Towns seemed like an untouchable player for trades, and the Knicks looked like they have addressed all player needs for the upcoming season with having Randle and DiVincenzo on the team.
Last year, the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals, but were obliterated by the Dallas Mavericks. In terms of player performance, specifically Towns, underperformed during this series. During the regular season, Towns averaged around 22 points per game, 8 rebounds, and shot 42% from deep. During the playoffs, Towns did not hold up to his season standards, averaging around 19 points, and 7 rebounds per game. It would make sense to trade Towns due to his lackluster playoff performance. It is also clear that the Timberwolves want to make it into the NBA Finals this time. With Randle and DiVincenzo, the Timberwolves could be the top team in the Western Conference this upcoming season, and a NBA Finals visit looks more than possible.
Disregarding Towns’ playoff mishap, Towns is still a great player in the regular season and has valuable skills that the Knicks need. The Knicks had a glaring weakness in their starting lineup: a center who is healthy on a consistent basis, and can shoot the ball efficiently from anywhere on the court. Towns fulfills these needs. Looking at Towns’ shooting percentages, Towns averages almost 40% from three and boasts a 52% field goal percentage. These percentages are highly exceptional, especially for a center.
Besides the Knicks acquiring Towns, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo looked unlikely to be traded by them. Randle is a power forward who can ‘stretch the floor’ by being able to shoot. Along with being able to shoot, Randle has great athleticism. His only negatives are Randle’s defensive abilities, but acquiring DiVincenzo makes up for Randle’s shabby defense. Using a stat called ‘defensive win shares’, DiVencenzo is projected to give a team 12 extra wins, just from his defense. The Knicks giving these players away show how unlikely this trade was, but Towns’ skills compensate.
Besides letting go of DiVincenzo and Randle, The Knicks are getting a highly valued center who is very healthy and has not had any impactful injuries in his career. Since the Knicks are already championship contenders, this will only boost them in an effort to get to the NBA Finals. Potentially, both teams could even face each other in the Finals if all works out for both parties. Both teams have great starting lineups, and the recent acquisition benefits both of them.
Overall, both teams did not lose the trade. However, this trade still comes off as a ‘shocker.’ The players who were traded supplied their teams with valuable skills, while looking unlikely to trade away. Regardless, the trade will benefit both teams, and could potentially bring a NBA Finals matchup, which is something that fans will pay to view.
