Four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns is heading to Broadway.
According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Towns will be traded to the New York Knicks. In return, the Minnesota Timberwolves will get Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick.
Details of the Trade:
The trade involves three teams. The Knicks sent guard DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets to manage salary caps. Towns has a significant $49.2 million cap hit for 2024-25 and is on a four-year, $220 million contract with a player option in 2027-28 worth $61 million.
Conversely, Randle’s contract includes $28.9 million for 2024-25 with a player option for 2025-26 at $30.9 million. DiVincenzo has an $11.4 million cap hit this season and is secured through 2026-27.
Impact on the Knicks:
The Knicks made this move because they recently learned that center Mitchell Robinson would miss the start of the season due to stress fracture surgery recovery from May, delaying his return until December.
Fans are curious about how well Towns will fit with the Knicks’ current lineup.
Towns had an impressive season last year with averages of 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He could potentially enhance their frontcourt alongside Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart.
Timberwolves’ New Direction:
On the other side of things, Minnesota is reshaping its team by trading away one of its key players for a fresh start. Randle was strong last season for New York with averages of 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game but might face challenges adapting to Towns’ role in Minnesota.
DiVincenzo averaged solid numbers tooโ15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per gameโand could thrive playing next to Anthony Edwards.
It’s really up in the air how these changes will affect both teams’ standings
