Knicks Finally Made a Trade Offer for KAT that Timberwolves Could Not Refuse

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Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The thought that the Minnesota Timberwolves could trade Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks has existed for months, if not years. The reality took time to come to fruition. As the Twins put their final nail in the coffin, Tim Connelly got it done, but not until the offer he needed was met.

Minnesota Timberwolves forced the Knicks in Karl-Anthony Towns trade

On Friday night the Minnesota Timberwolves sent their second-best playing to New York. It left the big man stunned, and it came out of nowhere. The Knicks had been trying to make it world, but Tim Connelly needed to extract the most value. Shams Charania told Pat McAfee that’s exactly what happened.

“On the eve of training camp, Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle, Dante DiVicenzo, and a draft pick. We don’t see trades like this come up often. Especially on the eve of training camp involving two all-NBA, All-Star caliber players. Obviously I don’t know if BC is sweating Karl-Anthony Towns, but on paper they have to have, in my eyes, one of the best starting fives in the NBA. I still give Boston and the Celtics the edge as far as starting fives. We know what they’ve done. We know what they’re capable of. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, those are two of the best ten players in the league. You look at, obviously Jrue Holiday, everyone else in that starting lineup… but to me, the Knicks, that made them really up there… This is something Knicks were quietly working on for months… The offered Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, that was a hard no. They continued to offer that, no, no, no. Then they finally put Donte DiVincenzo in, that was still a no, but at least that was a window open for them. Then they put in that first round pick on Friday and they get this massive deal done.”

Shams Charania on the Karl-Anthony Towns negotiations (Pat McAfee Show)

As Shams explains, the Timberwolves remained steadfast in extracting the most value for Towns. Of course Chris Finch’s team would have been better off keeping him, but Glen Taylor was set to be on the hook for a massive luxury tax payment. This allows Minnesota to pivot while still keeping a significant amount of their talent on the roster.

Related: Why Did the Minnesota Timberwolves Trade Karl-Anthony Towns?

Now the Timberwolves must find a path forward. Anthony Edwards was extremely close to Towns, but he understands that this is his team. Minnesota made it to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and their goal is to take the next step. They don’t have to be as excellent during the regular season, but the end result is what matters.

Related: NBA Insider Reveals Even More Details On Why Minnesota Timberwolves Shockingly Traded KAT

If Finch can find a way to make Randle and DiVincenzo fit quickly, they can both work to mitigate the loss of Towns on the court. How the Timberwolves respond in the early going will be among the most intriguing storylines of the NBA regular season.

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