Alright, hoop heads, buckle up because this trade news is about to rock your world!
KAT Heads to the Big Apple
So, Karl-Anthony Towns is packing his bags for New York! Yup, you heard that right. The Knicks are about to finalize a massive deal to bring KAT to the city that never sleeps. This move has everyone buzzing, especially since it looks like the Timberwolves are all-in on maximizing Anthony Edwards’ potential.
Ant-Man Gets Some Backup
If this trade goes through, Ant’s gonna have some serious firepower around him. We’re talking Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and even a future first-rounder from the Pistons. According to Jon Krawczynski from The Athletic, the Wolves are making this move to ensure Edwards has a competitive squad for years to come. “The Wolves made the deal to maximize Edwardsโ window for the long haul,” he wrote. “Dealing Towns also could help them retain Reid, a wildly popular player in Minnesota who could be a free agent next summer.”
Cap Space Shuffle
With KAT’s hefty four-year, $220.4 million extension off their books, the Wolves are looking at a lot more flexibility. Randle’s still got two years left on his $60 million deal, and Donteโs locked in for four years at $46.8 million. The Wolves are playing the long game here, trying to build a sustainable contender around Edwards without getting buried under luxury tax penalties. In my opinion, this is a smart move for the Wolvesโcap space is like gold in today’s NBA.
Knicks’ Gamble: Boom or Bust?
But what about the Knicks? Are they winning or losing here? Former Memphis exec John Hollinger isn’t so sure. Heโs worried New York might be getting too top-heavy and losing crucial wing depth. “New Yorkโs remaining group now leans a little too heavily into the Thibodeauian fantasy of using only six players the entire night for all 82 games,” Hollinger said. Ouch.
Check out this tweet for more deets:
Julius Randle has a player option for $30.9M (20.0% of the cap) for the 2025-26 season.
Classic contract year coming up. He’ll try and make up for lost time due to injuries. The Wolves found the creator they needed to take some scoring load away from Anthony Edwards.
โ Ersin Demir (@EDemirNBA)
Financial Tightrope
Absorbing KAT’s massive contract could seriously cramp the Knicks’ style. Hollinger points out that New York is now “mere pennies from the second apron cap.” That means theyโre pretty much stuck with this roster until next offseason. “Yes, the Knicks solved their starting center problem,” Hollinger admits, “but in doing so, they created enough other issues that the cure may be worse than the disease.”
So, what do you think? Will KAT turn the Knicks into legit contenders, or is this just another case of the cure being worse than the disease? Drop your thoughts below!
