Breaking: New York Knicks Trade for Karl-Anthony Towns

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For the second time this offseason, the New York Knicks have made a massive trade. Following the trade for Mikal Bridges, the Knicks have now made a trade for Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns. As reported by Shams Charania the trade goes as follows:

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive:

Julius Randle
Donte DiVincenzo
A First-Round Pick (via Detroit)

New York Knicks Receive:

Karl-Anthony Towns

Charlotte Hornets Receive:

DaQuan Jeffries
Draft compensation

For the Knicks, they add one of the best shooting big men in the league. Last season, KAT averaged 21.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 3.0 APG on splits of 50% from the field and 41% from three. Prior to the trade, Towns was the longest-tenured player on the Wolves. Pairing him alongside their superstar Jalen Brunson, the Knicks deepen their already stacked roster heading into the 2024-25 season.

Unable to come to an agreement on a new deal, the Knicks chose to move on from Randle, who will become a free agent in the summer of 2025. The Knicks have also unfortunately broken up their Nova Knicks core before the team could play a game together. Struggling to add depth behind their stars, Minnesota adds one of the most underrated players and reliable players in the league Donte DiVincenzo, who averaged 15.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.7 APG in 81 games played last season.

For Minnesota, there is one main reason behind trading KAT. Previously signing a four-year deal with the team, KAT would’ve been owed $220 million over the course of the contract, with the contract going up each season. Having other max and high-cost players in Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, the Wolves would be well over the salary cap and in the second apron. With the current battle for ownership of the team being heavily focused on money, there was already concern the core would be broken up soon. The move has already drawn criticism, as the Wolves just had their best season in years, reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 seasons.

Looking ahead to the 2024-25 season, the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns helps solidify the Knicks who fell one game short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Finishing as the second see last season, the new-look Knicks are expected to take another step this season, with many already predicting an Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Boston Celtics.

For the Wolves, there are questions about Randle’s fit and if he will re-sign with the team next season. Adding DiVincenzo helps address depth issues as the team struggled deep in the playoffs. Trading a key part of their core, it is possible that the Wolves could take a slight step back this upcoming season.