Sources: Knicks to send Randle, DiVincenzo to Timberwolves for Towns
The New York Knicks |A|
and Minnesota Timberwolves are |B|
finalizing a blockbuster trade |C|
involving All-Stars Julius Randle |D|
and Karl-Anthony Towns, sources |E|
confirmed to ESPN on |F|
Friday night. The deal will |G|
see Randle and Donte |H|
DiVincenzo wind up in |J|
Minnesota and Towns in |K|
New York. The Knicks |L|
are set to add |M|
a center in Towns |O|
to shore up their |P|
biggest weakness, while Minnesota |Q|
is adding shooting and |R|
versatility in its quest |S|
to exceed last season's |U|
run to the Western |V|
Conference finals. Minnesota also will |Y|
receive a 2025 top-13-protected |Z|
first-round pick from New |A|
York via the Pistons, |B|
sources said. Charlotte will be |C|
the third team in |D|
the trade, sources added, |E|
and the Hornets are |F|
expected to receive draft |G|
compensation for helping make |H|
the deal work financially. Talks |J|
between New York and |K|
Minnesota had taken place |L|
all summer but picked |M|
up steam in the |O|
last few days when |P|
Charlotte was brought in |Q|
as the third team, |R|
sources said. The trade is |S|
not expected to be |U|
completed for a few |V|
days. Having just arrived back |Y|
in Minnesota for the |Z|
start of training camp |A|
next week, Towns was |B|
focused on building off |C|
the Timberwolves' West finals |D|
run, and the development |E|
was "completely unexpected," a |F|
source familiar with his |G|
thinking told ESPN's Ramona |H|
Shelburne. Towns, who grew up |J|
a little under an |K|
hour outside of New |L|
York City in central |M|
New Jersey, will immediately |O|
slot into New York's |P|
starting lineup at center, |Q|
filling a massive need |R|
for the Knicks -- |S|
particularly in light of |U|
incumbent center Mitchell Robinson |V|
being ruled out for |Y|
at least the first |Z|
two months of the |A|
season earlier this week |B|
due to offseason ankle |C|
surgery. Towns, 28, is a |D|
four-time All-Star and a |E|
two-time All-NBA selection who |F|
has career averages of |G|
22.9 points and 10.8 |H|
rebounds while shooting 39.8% |J|
from 3-point range. Last |K|
season in Minnesota, he |L|
averaged 21.8 points and |M|
8.3 rebounds, while shooting |O|
50% from the field |P|
and 41.6% from 3-point |Q|
range. The No. 1 |R|
pick in the 2015 |S|
NBA draft helped Minnesota |U|
advance in the playoffs |V|
for the second time |Y|
in the franchise's 35-year |Z|
history while making the |A|
West finals for the |B|
first time in 20 |C|
years (it lost to |D|
Dallas in five games). Towns, |E|
who is in Year |F|
1 of a four-year, |G|
$220 million supermax extension |H|
he signed in 2022, |J|
will reunite with current |K|
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, |L|
whom he played under |M|
in Minnesota (2016-19). Randle, who |O|
turns 30 in December, |P|
averaged 24.2 points, 9.2 |Q|
rebounds and 5.0 assists |R|
for New York last |S|
season in 46 games |U|
before suffering a dislocated |V|
right shoulder Jan. 27. |Y|
After two months of |Z|
rehab, he opted to |A|
undergo season-ending surgery in |B|
April. Randle has spent the |C|
summer rehabilitating from the |D|
surgery. He is expected |E|
to be ready for |F|
the start of training |G|
camp, sources said. Randle signed |H|
with New York in |J|
2019 and has since |K|
played the best basketball |L|
of his career, making |M|
three All-Star teams and |O|
a pair of All-NBA |P|
teams while helping the |Q|
Knicks make the playoffs |R|
in three of the |S|
past four seasons -- |U|
matching an accomplishment the |V|
franchise has achieved only |Y|
one other time this |Z|
century. He has $28.9 million |A|
on his contract for |B|
this coming season and |C|
a $30.9 million player |D|
option for 2025-26. He and |E|
the Knicks had not |F|
made progress on a |G|
contract extension this summer, |H|
sources told ESPN's Shelburne, |J|
essentially signaling the Knicks' |K|
willingness to trade him. Timberwolves |L|
coach Chris Finch previously |M|
coached Randle in New |O|
Orleans, when Finch was |P|
a Pelicans assistant coach |Q|
in 2018-19. He is |R|
said to have an |S|
affinity for the star |U|
forward, sources said. DiVincenzo, 27, |V|
signed a four-year free |Y|
agent deal with the |Z|
Knicks last summer and |A|
went on to make |B|
a career-high 283 3-pointers. |C|
Sources told ESPN that |D|
Minnesota was high on |E|
DiVincenzo as a free |F|
agent after he played |G|
one season with the |H|
Golden State Warriors, and |J|
his shooting will be |K|
especially needed on a |L|
Wolves team that was |M|
already a bit light |O|
in that area and |P|
now is losing Towns, |Q|
one of the best-shooting |R|
big men in the |S|
league. Making the deal now |U|
means the "Villanova Knicks" |V|
-- DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, |Y|
Josh Hart and Mikal |Z|
Bridges -- never will |A|
play a single game |B|
together after New York |C|
made another massive trade |D|
earlier this summer to |E|
acquire Bridges from its |F|
crosstown rival, the Brooklyn |G|
Nets. In that deal -- |H|
the first trade between |J|
the two New York |K|
teams in 40 years |L|
-- New York sent |M|
out four of its |O|
own unprotected future first-round |P|
picks, a future protected |Q|
Milwaukee Bucks pick, a |R|
future first-round swap and |S|
a second-round pick. Because Minnesota |U|
was well into the |V|
second apron and New |Y|
York was bumping up |Z|
against the first one, |A|
a third team was |B|
needed to make the |C|
deal work financially. That's |D|
where Charlotte came in, |E|
sources said, as the |F|
Hornets were able to |G|
use salary cap exceptions |H|
to take on money |J|
from the Knicks to |K|
make the deal legal. Doing |L|
the deal now will |M|
result in the Hornets |O|
getting draft capital for |P|
its exceptions -- ones |Q|
it otherwise could have |R|
held until later in |S|
the season, sources said. At |U|
ESPN BET, the Knicks |V|
entered the day at |Y|
+800 to win the |Z|
NBA title this season. |A|
After the trade, those |B|
odds moved to +700, |C|
behind only the defending |D|
champion Boston Celtics (+340) |E|
and the Oklahoma City |F|
Thunder (+650). The Athletic first |G|
reported talks on the |H|
deal.
