A trade that happens in September, just days before teams are set to answer questions on Media Day, is incredibly bold. Make that trade a blockbuster that includes two franchise pillars swapping teams and conferences, thoroughly shaking up the structure of the NBA… and you have one of the most shocking trades in recent memory.<\/p>\n
Last night, it was announced that Minnesota will be trading long-time Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for a package that includes Julius Randle, a disgruntled Donte DiVincenzo<\/a>, and a 2025 protected first-round pick via Detroit, among other things.<\/p>\n Both teams seemingly had hopes of contending for a championship this season, which begs us to ask:<\/p>\n Why now?<\/p>\n For Minnesota, this is a way to create some flexibility in the long term by moving off of Towns’s 4-year\/$220M contract and exchanging it for Randle’s expiring deal and DiVincenzo’s high-value 4-year\/$47M contract. This team was headed into the second apron, and ultimately, they opted to jump in front of that by trading Towns, the former number-one overall pick who spent the last nine years of his career battling through the most tumultuous of times while helping the Timberwolves turn into a contender. It’s gutsy and brings multiple questions about the short-term goals for a Minnesota team that made it to the Western Conference Finals last season.<\/p>\n For New York, this pushes their chips further in for this current core. The team is now expensive with the addition of Towns. Still, given their lack of depth in the frontcourt after losing Isaiah Hartenstein in the offseason and Mitchell Robinson going down with an injury that will likely hold him out of games until January, this was a way for them to address their needs at the center position while improving their roster and getting another star to pair alongside Jalen Brunson.<\/p>\n Both of these teams are betting big. I imagine both front offices believe they “got one over” on the other.<\/p>\n Tom Thibodeau has tried in the past to construct a sound defense around Karl-Anthony Towns. It didn’t pan out. However, Towns has improved as a defender since 2018. He’s smarter positionally and has gotten better at using his length in passing lanes, his strength against post-ups, and moving his feet while guarding pick-and-rolls.<\/p>\n KAT is doing a good job of not letting the Jokic back downs send him \u2014 he\u2019s absorbing the hit. When the defender gets hit and recoils a hit, that\u2019s when Jokic settles in and reads the floor.<\/p>\n Absorbs it here, Jokic fumbles and Ant gets out on the break. pic.twitter.com\/geSxai4CoO<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 17, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat are the Knicks betting on?<\/h2>\n
1. Betting on their defensive talent on the perimeter to compensate for KAT’s defensive shortcomings<\/h4>\n
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