On Friday September 27th, the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks, in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a heavily protected first round pick, via the Pistons.
While Towns is the centrepiece of the trade, Julius Randle is no slouch. Randle made 3 All-Star appearances in his 5 year Knicks tenure. The Timberwolves are receiving a true power forward who is a gifted passer and finisher. DiVincenzo is coming off a stellar playoff run, averaging almost 18 points as a role player, and making clutch shots late in games.
Often grading NBA trades is a futile exercise, as most modern trades involve prospects whose future impact is TBD at the time of the move. However, this trade is not that. The three players on the move are all veterans with playoff experience. While there is room to climb or fall for any of them heading into this season, there is evidence that informs how these players will fit into their new teams, respectively.
All that being said, here is an arbitrary report card for the Knicks and Timberwolves, less than 24 hours following the trade.
New York Knicks: A-
In Towns, the Knicks acquired one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA today. He is a three-level scorer, and has been relatively healthy over the last handful of seasons. He isn’t necessarily a high level defender, but with his frame, Towns can make an impact defensively in clutch situations. Not to mention the Knicks are surrounding Towns and their captain, Jalen Brunson, with Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby: two elite wing defenders.
There is balance in the Knicks new starting lineup, and there isn’t a category in which the Knicks should be below average.
The downside to giving up both Randle and DiVincenzo is sacrificing talent depth. Two great rotational players sacrificed for one really great player is the story, and it is not an uncommon story historically. Take a look back at the Kawhi Leonard/Demar Derozan trade for example. The Raptors had to give up both Derozan and Jakob Poeltl. That worked out pretty well for Toronto…
Financially, the Knicks could have theoretically kept DiVincenzo and still traded for KAT. If they’d managed to do that, their grade would simply be higher. Depending on how far Towns and the Knicks can go in the playoffs in the next couple of years, this grade could end up looking awfully low. For now, a low A it is.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B
There is a lot to like about how Randle and DiVincenzo will fit in Minnesota. Randle compliments big Rudy Gobert better than Karl-Anthony Towns did, particularly defensively; neither KAT or Gobert are known for their lateral quickness, and both of them are known to struggle guarding elite perimeter players on switches. Randle at his best is a competitive defender, and is more switchable than Towns
What’s troubled Randle is his effort. He has a tendency to give up on plays and show his frustration when it’s not his day. Not to mention his offensive output is inconsistent, the highs are high, but he is prone to bad shooting games. Might his effort change now in a smaller market, for better or worse? It’s an interesting variable.
DiVincenzo should fit in well as a two-way combo guard, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. His playoff success likely caught the attention of Minnesota’s front office.
What hurts Minnesota in this trade is chemistry. Towns was the franchise player before Anthony Edwards arrived. And Towns camaraderie with Edwards was getting better every season. Edwards is going to be tasked with a heavy offensive load going forward. His reaction to the move is not yet known, but it’s hard to think he’s thrilled about the team choosing to let go of their second-option.
The Timberwolves will be a good team in this upcoming season, but it felt like they were on the precipice of making a deep run prior to the trade. The western conference is as deep and competitive as it has ever been. It is hard to contend for a championship in the NBA with only one legitimate offensive X-factor, no matter how great Anthony Edwards can be.
