I’m not sure anybody saw the news coming down TV and social media late Friday night that the New York Knicks were nearing a deal to send, among other pieces, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. In hindsight, I do feel kind of dumb for not seeing it coming. A lot of the tea leaves were there. And in the end, the only part that truly shocked and dismayed me was the inclusion of Donte DiVincenzo, who my wife adoringly refers to as the “Strawberry Shake”. Here are the full trade details:
New York Knicks Get:
Karl-Anthony Towns (from MIN)
James Nnaji (from CHA)
Minnesota T’Wolves Get:
Julius Randle (from NYK)
Donte DiVincenzo (from NYK)
Keita Bats-Diop (from NYK)
Future 1st Round Protected Pick (from NYK via DET)
Charlotte Hornets Get:
Charlie Brown (from NYK)
Daquan Jeffries (from NYK)
Duane Washington Jr. (from NYK)
2 Future 2nd Round Picks (from NYK)
So, some curtain jerking fodder first…the Charlotte Hornets appear to have given up a foreign prospect who NBA beat writer Kevin O’Connor referred to as a, “long-armed big man who’s built like a tank and has the mentality to dominate on both ends of the paint.” I don’t know much about the dude but I certainly like the sound of that! And he was just drafted as the first pick of the second round in 2023. And in exchange, they got two future 2nd’s and the Club Sandwich of generic summer league wing players from the Knicks. Interesting bonus development outside of the main event, which is of course KAT.
After the initial shock, I’ve settled on this trade feeling very similar to the OG Anunoby one last year. Similarly, the Knicks gave up two substantial pieces (RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley) for OG in that deal. For me, and I’d surmise other Knicks fans too, Quickly was the, “Oh man, no!” piece of that trade, despite Barrett being beloved, yet limited to an extent. In the KAT trade, DiVincenzo plays the role of Quickley while Randle stars at RJ.
DiVincenzo was a revelation last season and essentially the last man standing, literally, by seasons’ end. I don’t think any of us saw the barrage of treys that were going to come, not to mention ferocious defense, perfect situational fit on the team, and the deliverer of the Mike Breen double-bang! In one short season, Donte (Strawberry Shake) became an instant fan favorite, much like Quickley before him. He’s the biggest let-down of this deal for me, and I don’t hate Randle…
…In the same way that I didn’t hate RJ Barrett by any means either. For RJ’s first couple seasons, I saw his game get better after each offseason. You could tell that the kid cared and worked hard in the offseason to improve, and did so steadily. But RJ, like Randle, became an outlier when it came to “fit” on this particular team. A team that has identified Jalen Brunson as its alpha and is catering to make sure that the pieces around him fit to exemplify his game. I think basketball fans understand this…hell, I bet Randle (and RJ) got the message too. They’re smart players. Whereas Donte and Quickley could’ve fit on the Brunson squads seamlessly, they were just the cost of doing business in the NBA. Everyone (except Charlotte, apparently) wants to improve and won’t relinquish their stud players for cents on the dollar.
The point I’m trying to make is the OG Anunoby trade worked out for the Knicks. His game made the team much, much better. And if losing a franchise cornerstone in Barrett and a tenacious defender and scorer like Quickley, then that’s what the Knicks had to do in order to get another step closer towards a Championship. Now, when it comes to Karl-Anthony Towns, I’m hopeful that the best case scenario can come to fruition and this trade will mirror the Anunoby one. The Knicks lose a franchise cornerstone in Randle and a tenacious defender and scorer like Donte, but it enables them to get closer to sniffing that Larry O’Brien Trophy. God, please let us Knicks fans get a whiff!
The consensus (and I’m talking myself into believing too) is that KAT is a great, great fit for the Knicks team. I mean shit, notwithstanding anything else, with losing Isaiah Hartenstein to the Thunder and the news that Mitchell Robinson may not be ready until December, the Knicks didn’t even have a non-backup type Center on their roster. KAT checks the obvious box out of the gate. Check!
Towns is a career 40% three point shooter, a phenomenon for a 7-foot big man. He will be able to space the floor, dragging out the opposing teams’ Center out of the paint, allowing Brunson to juke and jive his way to the hole like only he can. Teams simply have to respect KAT’s shooting ability. He’s also a pretty underrated rebounder. He’s got a lifetime average of 10.8 rebounds a game. Another box for KAT? Check!
Now, the biggest knock on KAT is that he doesn’t seem to have a lot of DAWG in him. In the words of the late, great Pete Rose at WrestleMania 14, “How ‘bout it!” But yeah, there are certainly a few questions about the big man:
How will him and ex-and-now-new-coach Tom Thibeadeau get along? I haven’t been a subscriber to T’Wolves Beat magazine but there are rumblings that they butted heads a lot during their time together in Minnesota a few years back.
He has a reputation of not having much of a killer instinct a la a Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.
Will the New York media and fan pressure, especially in the wake of losing two favorite players, weigh on KAT if he doesn’t play to an All-Star caliber level?
He gave a startlingly bizarre interview two years back in which he claimed the T’Wolves had a more impressive playoffs performance than the champion Denver Nuggets. To this day, and I just re-watched the video, I don’t understand what rationale he was trying to reach for there. Just soft, soft stuff.
Regardless, I’m talking myself into this trade. On paper, the things that Towns does seem to align better with the makeup of the current team around Brunson. And Leon Rose hasn’t steered the ship into an iceberg yet. Knicks fans have no reason not to trust the moves he makes. So, let’s give KAT a shot. I am fired up for this upcoming New York Knicks season, just weeks away! What do you guys think? I’d love to get some feedback whether you’re a Knicks fan or not. A formal NYK team preview will be coming down the pike soon…right here…at notjustshootyhoops.com!