In a massive twist, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded star center Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The trade also includes a future first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons. Adding to the twist, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic revealed that the trade was done to maximize Anthony Edwards long term.
Furthermore, this deal allowed Minnesota to shed Towns’ substantial four-year, $220.4 million extension. Randle has two years and nearly $60 million remaining on his contract, and DiVincenzo has a team-friendly four-year, $46.8 million deal through 2027. This means the Timberwolves are positioning themselves to better shape the team around the future face of the league, Anthony Edwards.
The Wolves made the deal to maximize Edwards’ window for the long haul, team sources told The Athletic. The Wolves wanted to make sure Edwards could be on a competitive playoff team for much longer than just the next two years and believe the flexibility this move provides will aid that pursuit.
Jon Krawczynski via The Athletic
Additionally, Krawczynski also noted that keeping Towns would likely have forced the Timberwolves to part ways with other valuable players, like Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid. Also, the Timberwolves faced the prospect of incurring significant luxury tax penalties if they retained Towns. The Knicks have a strong roster, and KAT will likely help them get to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Timberwolves believe that last night’s trade will maximize Anthony Edwards’ window, per @JonKrawczynski
“The Wolves made the deal to maximize Edwards’ window for the long haul, team sources told The Athletic. The Wolves wanted to make sure Edwards could be on a competitive… pic.twitter.com/fNZUQie70y
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 28, 2024
Fans of the Wolves will understand that while the logic behind the trade is clear. The decision to move on from Towns, their number one overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft came as a surprise. Last season was significant for Towns as he contributed greatly to the T-Wolves’ run to the Western Conference Finals, as he averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Karl-Anthony Towns was never promised he wouldn’t be traded
When the news of the trade broke, Karl-Anthony Towns reacted with surprise on social media. However, reports indicate that the team never guaranteed the four-time All-Star that he would remain with them. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on this matter.
The veteran insider revealed that Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly could not promise Towns he wouldn’t be dealt. This is especially after he adjusted to his new role supporting Ant-Man as the team’s primary option.
Towns had previously sought assurances from Connelly that he wouldn’t be traded… but ultimately could not give that promise, sources said. In fairness, he couldn’t when looking at this landscape.
Brian Windhorst wrote
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— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024
Fans speculated that this uncertainty may have contributed to Towns’ cryptic social media post just before the trade announcement. Nonetheless, the timing of the trade surprised many, given the proximity to the start of the 2024-25 season.
Good thing he left with a bang as thanks to Towns’ impact, the team finished with a 56-26 record. A future clash between the Wolves and the Knicks has turned out to be one of the most anticipated games of the coming season.
