The first major post-Woj offseason trade has sent the NBA world into a frenzy. According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to ship Julius Randle to the Twin Cities and Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple. Former first-round pick Donte DiVincenzo, who was one-fourth of the ‘NovaKnicks,’ will also head to Minneapolis.
Knicks are sending salary — including DaQuan Jeffries — and draft compensation to Charlotte in three-team Karl-Anthony Towns/Julius Randle deal, sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski. https://t.co/dP4x8dTvr9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 28, 2024
There’s no question that the move makes both teams look a lot different.
Randle had been a core player in New York for five seasons. However, once Jalen Brunson took over his trap, his future with the franchise was uncertain. Similarly, Towns has been with the Timberwolves since 2015, when they drafted him with the first overall pick. Yet, 2020 No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards has usurped him as the face of the franchise.
Time will tell if it was the right decision for either or both teams. Nonetheless, it ultimately puts both Randle and Towns in a more comfortable position. With their new teams, they’re still not the No. 1 option anymore. Regardless of that fact though, it’s less awkward to try to fit in as the second option on a new team than to be passed up as the go-to guy on your original team.
Knicks Talked Julius Randle Trade With Several Potential Suitors
As one might expect, the Timberwolves weren’t the only team that the Knicks were talking to about Randle. The Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat were also among the potential destinations for the three-time All-Star, per SportsNet New York reporter Ian Begley.
Detroit, Atlanta, Miami among the other teams NYK talked to about trades of Julius Randle, per SNY sources. MIN slashes its future payroll by acquiring Randle, who can be an FA this summer. Knicks get big man they’ve long had on radar in Karl Towns.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 28, 2024
Presumably, the chance to acquire Towns —who they’ve long coveted —was just too difficult to pass up. Of note, Towns was represented by Knicks president Leon Rose in his days as a sports agent.
Heat & Hawks Hesitant?
Of the aforementioned teams, the Hawks and Heat have All-Stars who are on the same or a higher plane than Towns. Furthermore, Atlanta’s Trae Young and Miami’s Jimmy Butler have both been involved in trade rumors this offseason. Butler is even widely regarded as a favorite of Knicks head coach Tom Thibideau. However, there does seem to be hesitance from the Hawks and Heat in regard to actually moving them.
It’s also highly unlikely New York would’ve swapped Randle for Young because they already have a high-usage point guard. In fact, Atlanta may have actually offered a package that included the likes of De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela, who have long been on the trade block. Accepting this deal would’ve actually improved the Knicks’ frontcourt depth.
Nonetheless, neither Hunter nor Capela are at Towns’s level as ceiling-raisers.
Motor City Crossroads
A trade with the Pistons could’ve gone in any number of directions.
As of now, Jaden Ivey appears to be the odd man out in Motor City despite being drafted fifth overall in 2022. Needing the ball in his hands to be at his best, he isn’t meshing well with Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. He’s also another a former client of Rose. Yet, there’s nothing that would indicate he would have more success alongside Brunson.
Jalen Duren is a more intriguing option. For one, he plays center, the position that New York needed the most help at. He’s also an athletic and aggressive rebounder who has drawn comparisons to players like Ben Wallace. All Thibodeau would’ve had to is mold him defensively.
However, from a financial standpoint, it’s more likely that Isaiah Stewart and Tim Hardaway Jr. would’ve been traded to New York. Stewart, a stretch-five with a mean streak, is set to make $15 million in 2024-25. Hardaway, who began his career with the Knicks, will make $16.1 million.
