The NBA community is still coming to terms with the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, but it’s actually been a long time coming for the Knicks. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Knicks were working on the trade for months and initially tried to offer Mitchell Robinson during negotiations back in July.
“This is something Knicks were quietly working on for months, since the start of the offseason,” said Shams on the Pat McAfee show. “On draft night they offered Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson that was a hard no. Then they finally put Donte DiVincenzo in and that was still a no but at least there was a window open for them and then they put the first-round pick on Friday to get this massive deal done.”
Fresh off a run to the Eastern Semi-Finals, the Knicks felt that they needed to make a move in order to take another step up in the East. With Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Julius Randle, the Knicks had a solid core of veterans who knew how to play in Tom Thibodeau’s system. Together, they led the Knicks to the 2nd-best record in the East at 50-32.
But with growing threats across the league, including teams like the 76ers, Pacers, Celtics, and Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks knew they needed more firepower to keep up. Their first attempt to trade for Towns this summer was on draft night when they reportedly offered Randle and his frontcourt teammate, Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson, 26, has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and he played just 31 games in the 2023-24 campaign. It’s no wonder why the Timberwolves were not interested in taking him as a replacement for Towns, who has been among the more reliable big men in the league when it comes to health.
The Timberwolves were not willing to consider the deal… until the Knicks offered Randle and Dante DiVincenzo in place of Robinson. The Timberwolves, who value depth, considered Randle and DiVincenzo a lucrative return for one of their own, even someone who’s been around since 2016.
Since taking over, Knicks GM/President Leon Rose has made it clear that his ambitions are high for the Knicks. As one of the NBA’s most iconic franchises, it’s only right that they are in a position to succeed and it appears they are finally on that track after decades of dysfunction.
Meanwhile, for the Timberwolves, we will soon see how their latest gamble pays off. In yet another offseason of major change, there are questions about whether the Timberwolves have taken a step up or a step back as NBA contenders.
Ultimately, with the new season approaching, the Timberwolves may come to regret letting go of Karl-Anthony Towns, their former franchise player who averages 22.9 points per game for this career. At least now Towns has the chance for a fresh start and to create a new legacy for himself with a team and a fanbase desperate for success. The road is long, but the Knicks are clearly strong believers in Towns and it’ll be up to him to validate the risk of breaking up their All-Star duo.
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