The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to a trade with the New York Knicks that sends Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple for a package including Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, the teams announced Wednesday, five days after the deal was first reported. The Timberwolves are also receiving a protected first-round pick from the Knicks that originally belonged to the Detroit Pistons.
Here are the full details of the trade, which is a three-team deal that also includes the Charlotte Hornets:
Knicks receive: Karl-Anthony TownsTimberwolves receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, 2025 first-round pick (via Knicks via Pistons)Hornets receive: Charlie Brown, DaQuan Jeffries, Duane Washington Jr., two second-round picks (via Knicks), one second-round pick (via Timberwolves)
This blockbuster marks the second major acquisition for New York this offseason after its mega deal bringing in Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in June. The Knicks lost starting center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, and their expected starting center before the Towns acquisition, Mitchell Robinson, will miss the beginning of the season due to injury.
“We are beyond excited to welcome Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks family,” Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “Karl-Anthony brings a skillset that is unique to the game of basketball. He possesses a blend of playmaking, shooting, rebounding and defending that in combination with his size allows him to compete at a level that is rare in this league. Karl-Anthony has demonstrated throughout his career to be a high caliber player and person on and off the court who will complement the type of team and culture we continue to build in New York.”
With Towns, the Knicks have found a franchise center; however, he’s a distinctly different player Robinson and previously Hartenstein as they operate primarily around the basket. Towns is arguably the best big-man shooter in NBA history, and he will create an entirely new dimension for New York offensively.
The Timberwolves are…
..