Grading Knicks-Timberwolves Trade That Swaps Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle

There is never a |A| dull moment in the |B| NBA. Not even late |C| September, typically the doldrums |D| of the league's offseason, |E| is safe from unexpected |F| fireworks.

Late Friday night, while |G| fans were likely enjoying |H| anything but basketball, The |J| Athletic's Shams Charania reported |K| a blockbuster trade sending |L| Karl-Anthony Towns to the |M| New York Knicks and |O| Julius Randle and Donte |P| DiVincenzo to the Minnesota |Q| Timberwolves.

Charania later reported that |R| DaQuan Jeffries and draft |S| compensation would be headed |U| to the Charlotte Hornets, |V| expanding the deal to |Y| a three-teamer.

It's a fascinating |Z| deal that was both |A| thoroughly anticipated and yet |B| still shocking on multiple |C| levels.

After losing Isaiah Hartenstein |D| to free agency and |E| Mitchell Robinson (at least |F| for the start of |G| the season) to injury, |H| the Knicks were in |J| dire need of a |K| center. Unclogging a forward |L| rotation that includes Mikal |M| Bridges and OG Anunoby |O| would be nice, too.

Friday, |P| New York checked both |Q| those boxes, while adding |R| an All-Star in the |S| process.

Towns feels like a |U| near perfect No. 2 |V| option alongside Jalen Brunson. |Y| The diminutive guard thrives |Z| in getting through tight |A| spaces and into the |B| paint, and Towns' shooting |C| will make that even |D| easier for him.

The self-proclaimed |E| best shooting big of |F| all time really is |G| a dynamic weapon from |H| beyond the arc. Since |J| the start of the |K| 2017-18 campaign, he's hit |L| 40.4 percent of his |M| threes, while attempting 5.1 |O| per game. Opposing centers |P| are forced to follow |Q| him to the perimeter, |R| or he'll pour in |S| points from the outside. |U| That, of course, will |V| leave the paint exposed |Y| for Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby |Z| and Josh Hart to |A| attack.

Randle is better than |B| Towns at creating offense |C| from scratch. Losing one-fourth |D| of the 'Nova Knicks |E| in DiVincenzo is tough |F| on a sentimental level |G| and also hurts New |H| York's depth. Towns certainly |J| isn't the kind of |K| rim protector the Knicks |L| had with Hartenstein or |M| Robinson.

But KAT will supercharge |O| an already strong offense. |P| Miles McBride is ready |Q| for a bigger role |R| in DiVincenzo's absence. And |S| New York has two |U| of the league's best |V| three-and-D forwards in Bridges |Y| and Anunoby to make |Z| Towns' job easier on |A| defense.

This is an excellent |B| deal for the Knicks

This |C| is a tougher deal |D| to read from Minnesota's |E| perspective.

Yes, there were early |F| fit issues with KAT |G| and Rudy Gobert, but |H| those had subsided during |J| the 2023-24 campaign. Last |K| regular and postseason, Minnesota |L| dominated |M| when both were on |O| the floor.

That was largely |P| due to Towns' shooting, |Q| which Randle simply cannot |R| reproduce. He's a career |S| 33.3 percent three-point shooter |U| who will undoubtedly be |V| dared to chuck away |Y| by playoff defenses. That |Z| will make things more |A| cramped for a Timberwolves |B| starting five that includes |C| Gobert and Anthony Edwards. |D| The latter is developing |E| as a three-point threat, |F| but it'd sure be |G| nice to keep the |H| middle of the floor |J| open for his slashing, |K| too.

Towns was no Dikembe |L| Mutombo, but he and |M| Gobert made up a |O| massive front line that |P| caused real problems for |Q| the 2022-23 champion Denver |R| Nuggets. Naz Reid can |S| replicate that to a |U| degree, but there's no |V| doubt Minnesota is now |Y| slightly less equipped to |Z| bother the league's best |A| player, Nikola Jokić.

Still, the |B| Wolves don't get a |C| failing grade here. Randle |D| can take some pressure |E| off Mike Conley and |F| Edwards as a playmaker. |G| DiVincenzo is one of |H| the league's best rebounding |J| guards, a pesky defender |K| and might even be |L| a sneaky Sixth Man |M| of the Year candidate |O| in this role.

There are |P| reasons for cautious optimism, |Q| but Minnesota should have |R| Edwards at the heart |S| of their thinking on |U| every move. And the |V| often ball-dominant Randle, with |Y| his shaky jump shot, |Z| doesn't seem like the |A| kind of player who'll |B| maximize what's happening with |C| Ant.

This is exactly the |D| kind of move a |E| rebuilding team should be |F| trying to jump in |G| on.

All we know about |H| Charlotte's return, for now, |J| is that Jeffries and |K| draft compensation is headed |L| its way, but it's |M| safe to assume the |O| Hornets aren't giving up |P| a ton to facilitate |Q| this.

Under the collective bargaining |R| agreement, the primary teams |S| in a trade sometimes |U| need a dumping ground. |V| For now, Charlotte is |Y| exactly that kind of |Z| dumping ground.

If Jeffries, a |A| 27-year-old wing with a |B| career average of 3.0 |C| points and a 28.1 |D| three-point percentage, proves better |E| than expected or the |F| future pick turns into |G| a rotation player, wonderful.

If |H| not, Charlotte didn't risk |J| much (if anything) to |K| get the extra shots

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