The Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks finally agreed to the long-anticipated blockbuster deal on Friday night, sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jon Krawcynski, the Timberwolves will receive three players, headlined by Julius Randle, and a protected 2025 first-round draft pick from the Knicks. Meanwhile, Charlotte was included in the deal, with the Hornets receiving DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation from the Knicks.
NBA Trade Grades: What the KAT- Julius Randle 3-Team Deal Means For Each Franchise Going Forward?
Since the Knicks have been “hot to trot after Towns for years,” why did the Timberwolves decide to pull the trigger now? Krawcynzki, in another story, said it all had to do with the Wolves’ salary situation. The Wolves are projected to be well above the second apron for the next few seasons, and some key youngsters’ contracts are set to expire.
As the Timberwolves analyzed their cap situation and looked at the landscape across the league, it was getting harder and harder for the Wolves to see a scenario where they could keep this team intact beyond this season, team sources said. [Anthony] Edwards is beginning a five-year max contract this season, Gobert has two years remaining on his max and Towns was starting a four-year, $220 million max extension this season. Add to it big raises for [Jaden] McDaniels this season and [Naz] Reid last season, and the Wolves had entered the dreaded second apron that brings with it luxury tax penalties and obstacles for team-building meant to strongly discourage teams from crossing that threshold for more than a couple of seasons.
Details Of The Deal
New York Knicks Receive
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- James Nnaji (from Charlotte)
“In Towns, the Knicks acquired the player they’ve pursued for years,” Charania and Krawcynski said as they broke the news. “They contacted the Timberwolves about Towns a couple of years ago, last year, and again after that, according to league sources. Their eyes have wandered since team president Leon Rose took over in 2020 after leaving the basketball division at CAA, the agency that represents Towns.
Nnaji was the No. 31 overall pick in 2023 by Detroit. He was then part of a 3-team draft night deal. The 20-year-old, 7-foot center is under contract with Spanish Club FC Barcelona.
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive
- Julius Randle
- Donte DiVincenzo
- Keita Bates-Diop
- 2025 First-Round Draft Pick that initially belonged to Detroit Pistons. The pick is top-13 protected.
If the 2025 first-round draft pick doesn’t convey to the Timberwolves this year, it becomes top-11 protected in 2026 and top-9 protected in 2027. If the pick doesn’t fall outside those ranges, the Timberwolves will receive a 2027 second-round selection from the Pistons.
Charlotte Hornets Receive
- DaQuan Jeffries
- Charlie Brown Jr.
- Duane Washington Jr.
- 2025 Second-Round Draft Pick via Minnesota that is the least favorable of Denver or Philadelphia picks.
- 2026 Second-Round Draft Pick via New York (that initially was Golden State’s pick).
- 2031 Second-Round Draft Pick New York’s own.
- $7.2 million in cash from Knicks to offset salaries for Brown and Washington.
Washington is expected to be waived by Hornets.
Trade Grades
New York Knicks: B+
I like the trade for the Knicks. Granted, the Knicks did give up two rotational players, which is generally more than most teams do, and Towns has struggled to stay healthy over the last five seasons. He has appeared in 70 games once during this stretch and missed 20 games a season ago. Still, the 28-year-old has been very productive in the games he has been available, compiling at least 20 points and eight rebounds every season since his rookie campaign.
Towns fills a definite need at center for the Knicks. Overall, Towns is the better and more consistent two-way player than Randle. While both players are solid scorers and rebounders, Towns plays both ends of the floor and is a significantly better defender and rim protector. Fouling is an issue for him.
Randle has been one of the Knicks’ more dependable players over the past five seasons, earning all-NBA honors twice. However, the nearly 30-year-old is sometimes a “black hole” offensively, and he is not as explosive as Towns on the glass or as a scorer. He also struggles with shot-selection occassions and is not a good 3-point shooter.
Plus, it was unclear if the Knicks and Randle would reach a contract extension, which Randle has been eligible for since August. The Knicks were only 166-164 in the games that Randle played in.
The Knicks made the playoffs in three of his five seasons with the team. Randle couldn’t play in the playoffs this season as he was injured and struggled the other two times the Knicks reached the postseason. Also, the Knicks reportedly shopped him to other teams.
The loss of DiVincenzo hurts the Knicks’ depth. DiVincenzo is coming off a career season and was one of the best long-range bombers last season. However, consistency and defense have plagued him for most of his career.
What Does The Trade Mean For The Knicks Going Forward?
Towns will likely start the season at the center, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s status unknown. That will mean that OG Anunoby will start at power forward, and Josh Hart likely get the nod at small forward. Thus, leaving Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson to man the backcourt.
New York has 16 players on its training camp roster following the release of Chuma Okeke and Marcus Morris Sr., both of whom had training camp deals. However, Okeke had Exhibit 10 language, which means he could end up with the G-League’s Westchester Knicks.
“The Knicks had to open up roster spots so they could pull off sign-and-trades in the Towns deal, tweeted Fred Katz of The Athletic. “Waiving Okeke and Morris gives them two extra open spots. Now they can sign and trade DaQuan Jeffries and whomever else to Charlotte.”
What the Knicks Could Do (Cont.)
Since three of the 16 players the Knicks have signed are on two-way deals, they have 13 players on standard deals with salaries totaling $185.35 million . Thus, they are $3.57 million clear of the second apron, where they are hard-capped.
New York has several options regarding getting to the 14th player. The Knicks could start the season with 13 players on their 15-man roster, which NBA rules permit, though teams are only allowed to below the 14-player minimum for 14 consecutive days. However, with three players on two-way deals, it won’t be a huge problem for the Knicks to carry 13 players, though if Robinson is not healthy, it will be much more difficult. Robinson is expected to be out until December or January.
The Knicks could make a salary dump trade, but that would cost them another player. So, it wouldn’t be beneficial unless they deal Robinson or Precious Achiuwa for someone who makes less money. They could also convert the two-way contracts of Ariel Hukporti or Kevin McCullar Jr.
The Knicks’ biggest area of need for the 14th spot is either a combo guard or a big with size, depending on Robinson’s status. Landry Shamet, who is on an Exhibit 9 training camp deal, is the ideal fit, and the Knicks now have enough cap space to absorb his $2.6 million salary. If so, the Knicks would still have over $900,000 to play with during the season.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B-
While Minnesota could ultimately win the trade, I’m not sure how good a fit Randle is with the Timberwolves. I went from giving the Timberwolves a B+ to a B before ultimately settling on a B-.
The Timberwolves and Randle have an upcoming decision to make, so this could be a one-year arrangement for the pair. The good news for the Wolves is that they did potentially save some cap space for the 2026-27 season, with Rudy Gobert, Randle, and Reid all having player options for next season.
Randle is coming off his first significant injury since his rookie season when he only played one game for the Los Angeles Lakers. He should be able to continue to thrive offensively as he will be the Wolves’ No. 2 option behind Edwards and should register a high usage rate with Mike Conley and rookie Rob Dillingham running the offense.
However, Randle’s addition does not fix Minnesota’s offensive issues. Randle is not as efficient as Towns and does not provide the “catch and threat” that Towns did. Randle is more comfortable with his back-to-the-basket or facing up within 16 feet.
What DiVincenzo Brings
Edwards is more of a slasher and needs the ball in his hands like Randle. Reid is a similar player offensively to Randle, which could hamper his effectiveness when the two are paired. Gobert and Conley are nonfactors offensively.
DiVincenzo improves the Timberwolves’ backcourt depth, and Yahoo Sports Jake Fischer reported that the Wolves targetted him last year as a free agent. Even if the 27-year-old isn’t as proficient as he was with the Knicks, he is still an above-average 3-point shooter — canning 2.1 3-pointers at a 37.6% for his career – and is a career double-figure scorer. He also can be a secondary ball-handler.
Minnesota’s grade would immediately improve to an A if the draft pick via the Pistons is conveyed this year. But that is unlikely. While the pick could ultimately be a lottery selection, there is also a chance that the Timberwolves get a second-rounder in return, which would affect the final grade of the deal.
What Does The Trade Mean For The Timberwolves Going Forward?
With the trade, Minnesota has 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts and is over the second apron. P.J. Dozier, Josh Minott, Leonard Miller, and Bates-Diop appear to be the players in jeopardy of being cut. All four players are on a minimum deal.
Dozier, who has 121 games of NBA experience over six seasons, played in Serbia last season. The athletic 6-6 guard is a good rebounder but does not shoot it well.
Minott is a 2022 second-round selection who has appeared in 49 NBA contests and played 187 minutes in total. The 21-year-old, 6-8 athletic guard is very athletic and is strong defensively.
Miller was traded to the Timberwolves on 2023 draft day after San Antonio selected him in the second round. Miller appeared in 52 minutes in games for the Wolves. While the 6-10, 20-year-old is listed as a small forward, he played power forward and center for the Wolves last season.
Bates-Diop is the most experienced of the four. Bates-Diop is versatile enough to play three positions but is better at forward. He struggled in 53 games for Brooklyn and Phoenix this past season after producing a career season in 2022-23. He has averaged 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds for his career.
Minnesota could have a training camp competition for the starting small forward or shooting guard position. Conley, Gobert, Edwards, and Randle are guaranteed starting jobs. McDaniels is the incumbent at small forward and is the leading candidate to start, with DiVincenzo projected to see around 30 minutes off the bench as the sixth man.
Charlotte Hornets Grade: A
Charlotte is involved in a trade for the second time this offseason as they have a room exception. Like when the Hornets acquired Josh Green and Reggie Jackson earlier this summer for the main reason of the draft comp they receive.
However, unlike with Green, Jeffries, Brown, and Washington likely won’t stick with the Hornets this year. However, the Hornets do have an open roster spot on their 15-man roster, so it is conceivable that Jeffries could earn a spot. Harry Giles, Keyontae Johnson, and Caleb McConnell are also competing for the last spot. Johnson and McConnell could stick with the club on a two-way contract as the Hornets have one of those spots left.
But, all in all, Charlotte did a great job continuing to stock up on assets, especially considering two of the picks are in the next two seasons. The Hornets now have six of their own first-round picks (2026-2031) and at least six second-round picks between 2025 and 2031. They also could have their own 2025 first-round selection (if the selection falls between 1-14) and possibly a 2027 draft pick from Dallas and Miami.
