Former NBA Star Claims Both The Knicks And Timberwolves Got Better Following Blockbuster Trade

With barely a few weeks left till the new season’s tipoff, the Knicks and the Timberwolves went on to shake up their rosters in spectacular fashion. The Wolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, and a first-round pick from the Knicks. And while NBA analysts gave their takes on who won and lost the trade, Sam Mitchell believes both teams have benefited from this exchange.

The former Timberwolves star broke down how both teams got a win-win situation. 

“Julius Randle going from New York to Minnesota, how that would make sense because you got Naz Reid. And now if you’re the Timberwolves, you can kind of keep everything in place. You can start Julius Randle and keep Naz Reid coming off the bench.”

Sam was on SiriusXM NBA Radio when he talked about this trade. He further added,

“And then you talk about Donte DiVincenzo, you’re talking about a guy that can knock down threes, a guy that is a tough perimeter defender. This is a trade that is going to benefit both teams.”

Though the Wolves lost KAT, they got Randle in return. Moreover, they already had a proven backup bigman in Naz Reid. And the addition of DiVincenzo gives Reid some help on the floor as well when the starters are on the bench. Mitchell also pointed out how this trade gives the Wolves much-needed breathing room in terms of cap space as well. 

“The Knicks are all in. The trade for Karl-Anthony Towns makes sense. There’s no such way as being halfway all-in. You’re either all the way in or you’re not…The Knicks are 100% in, and not just for this year but for the next 4-5 years.”

Given what the Knicks had to part ways with, the team surely moved a lot of pieces to acquire KAT. The team went from being considered as a contender to one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. 

And even though the team’s bench depth took a hit, the starting five is considered to take on the best of the best in the league.

Towns and Randle get blindsided by their former teams

This trade was a surprising one for both teams. But it came off as a shock to both Towns and Randle. Towns, who had spent 9 years with the squad, had never asked for a trade and was quite happy with the organization.

Ramona Shelbourne had reported how KAT’s camp was absolutely blindsided by this trade when they came to the team’s training camp. As for Randle, he had been part of the New York community for more than half a decade. Before the rise of Jalen Brunson, the Knicks had all their chips behind Randle and saw him as the cornerstone to build their franchise around.

In fact, Randle had just gotten done with his ’30 for 3′ program wherein he gave back to the community, becoming a staple for the city of New York. If there is any player who benefitted from this trade, it is Donte DiVincenzo. He was the only player among the Nova Knicks who wasn’t fully invested in the team’s direction going forward.

And after a career year, DDV surely didn’t want a diminished role behind Mikal Bridges, who the Knicks went on to acquire before KAT.