TA Grades the Major Trade Between Timberwolves and Knicks: Knicks B- Timberwolves C+

Today, the Timberwolves and the Knicks completed a significant trade, with the Timberwolves trading away Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick from the Pistons (protected top 13 in 2025).

TA’s Zach Harper has graded this trade, and the following translation captures the author’s original intent,

For the Knicks, on the surface, this looks like a great deal. Towns is a four-time All-Star, a two-time All-NBA player, one of the best shooting big men, an excellent rebounder, and precisely the kind of interior player the Knicks need (with Hartenstein gone and Gobert injured).

Towns fits perfectly into the Knicks’ lineup. Offensively, the Knicks can go all-in with a five-out setup, and defensively, they have OG Anunoby and Bridges. Additionally, they’ve gotten rid of Randle, who was a potential locker room bomb.

However, there are two puzzling aspects. First, they’re giving up Donte DiVincenzo, who was a key rotation player in New York and a member of the NovaKnicks. You can’t just trade him away like that.

Secondly, there’s the relationship between current coach Thibodeau and Towns. They worked together in Minnesota before, where Towns faced criticism for his defense despite having the potential to be a good defender. His overly aggressive style and poor understanding of rotations were issues. The Knicks need Towns to improve defensively, especially against Eastern Conference rivals like Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Orlando, Indiana, and Cleveland. Fortunately, Gobert will soon return, and Towns has shown he can play well with a big center in Minnesota. Still, I’m confused about this trade. Economically, Towns’ large contract extends until 2028.

Knicks trade grade: B-

Now looking at the Timberwolves, no matter how you look at it, this seems to be a move by the Timberwolves to avoid being a luxury tax team. The Timberwolves had Edwards, Gobert, Towns as max-contract players, plus McDaniels’ sizable contract. They just made it to the Western Conference Finals, notably defeating the defending champion Nuggets. The Nuggets would likely be pleased with this trade because the Timberwolves broke up their twin towers combo. Although they lost to Dallas, they should have tried again. This trade impacts them in four ways.

1. They’ve bolstered their backcourt depth. DiVincenzo appears to be a good partner for Edwards, can help Conley conserve energy, reduce the pressure on rookie Dilienham’s growth, and minimize Walker’s role (who is inconsistent in crucial moments).

2. The Timberwolves’ offense next season will be very strange. The Timberwolves weren’t an offensive powerhouse, and Randle’s arrival won’t change that. Randle has his strengths but dominates the ball. When Edwards isn’t on the court, Randle can handle the ball himself, but when Edwards is present, the spacing with Randle and Gobert becomes problematic.

3. Reid will get more playing time. The Timberwolves don’t have to cater to Towns’ feelings as they would with Randle (not saying Towns is bad; he has sacrificed for the team). If Randle leaves, Reid could become a long-term asset for the team.

4. The Timberwolves saved money, avoiding being a luxury tax team, but it’s disappointing that a team that just reached the conference finals wants to save money. It’s questionable whether these savings will bring flexibility, but it’s clear that Edwards needs to continue improving to dispel doubts.

Additionally, the Pistons’ first-round pick seems like a fake first-rounder since if the Pistons don’t make the playoffs next season, it turns into a second-round pick.

Timberwolves trade grade: C-