The Timberwolves and the Knicks traded away some of their key stars in a surprising trade. The exchange sent Karl-Anthony Towns to NY while the Wolves received Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. ESPN’s Bobby Marks gave his two cents on the teams trading players that were a key part of their rotation and success.
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“Well, it’s all about roster flexibility here. When you talk to people close to Minnesota, they’re confident they are still a top 4 team in the Western Conference. And they can get to a Western Conference Finals again here.”
Marks also shared what the addition of Randle and DiVincenzo will have on the rest of the Wolves roster.
“They got DiVincenzo coming off the bench that helps their young players including Rob Dillingham, Randle goes to the power forward.”
Before diving into what this trade did for the Wolves, Marks spoke about what this exchange did for the Knicks. He pointed out how the injury of Mitchell Robinson and the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein led NY to pursue this move. The ESPN vet then gave his views on what the Knicks roster looks like now after this acquisition.
“This starting lineup can compete with anybody in the Eastern Conference and certainly the NBA. The big question is now their depth… There is some thinness in the backcourt.”
Marks also pointed out that trading away DiVincenzo has left the Knicks a little shorthanded in the backcourt, as they only have a few players to rely on now.
What the Knicks gave up to acquire Towns
The Knicks had one of the most spectacular seasons in their recent franchise history. The team had a deep playoff run while also seeing the rise of Jalen Brunson as a perennial cornerstone for the franchise.
The EPSN insider placed this new Knicks roster with the best of teams in the Eastern Conference. But he also expressed his concern with what NY had to give up to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns.
“Now here’s my concern. My concern is your bench. My concern is your depth. When you lose DiVincenzo, you slide Anunoby to the four. The likelihood is that you have Hart starting, and you still have Robinson’s injury hanging over your head.”
Marks first mentioned Tyler Kolek, Cameron Payne, and Miles McBride as the only three players they have left in the backcourt. As for the frontcourt, the team is still short on bigmen with Mitchell Robinson’s injury.
And to make matters worse, the team has a very limited amount of resources to go sign more players in the cap space left. So, while the Knicks did upgrade with Towns‘ addition, the team also lost a lot of their depth and another injury could put their entire upcoming season in jeopardy.
