Knicks, Timberwolves trade ends 'Villanova Knicks' run and fans are sad
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The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves sent shockwaves through the NBA world when they agreed to a blockbuster trade that is going to send Karl-Anthony Towns to New York for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.
The departure of DiVincenzo means that the “Nova Knicks” have been broken up just shortly after being completed with the addition of Mikal Bridges. Now, Bridges, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson are without their fourth member of the 2018 Villanova National Championship team, and it’s safe to say that fans are upset about it.
“I love KAT, this is known, the Knicks got him for a great price ON PAPER, but their whole thing was grit and Villanova and friendship and they just lit that on fire as the season was starting. That's a ballsy move,” one commenter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Another added, “Nova Knicks ain't get to play a single minute together. You hate to see it man.”
The move shakes things up big time in both the Eastern and Western Conferences right before the season gets underway, and the title contenders in each conference are shifting.
Pros and cons of Towns-Randle trade for the Knicks
The Knicks shook up their roster in a big way when they shipped Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenco off to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns. However, Towns adds an element to the Knicks that they didn’t have before, and he should raise their ceiling as a result.
First, let’s start with the cons. Trading away DiVincenzo is a big deal for more reasons than just the team chemistry and the “Nova Knicks” angles. He was an elite shooter as a role player last season, and can also defend on the wing pretty well for his size. He fit right in with the culture of grit and toughness that Tom Thibodeau has brought to the Knicks, and they will miss his intensity and energy immensely.
However, the pros of adding Towns are far too appealing to turn down. He provides positional versatility; Towns will be able to start at center while Mitchell Robinson recovers from offseason knee surgery, but can slide back down to the four when Robinson returns. He is an elite floor spacer in a way that Randle was not while providing a similar threat when driving to the basket and slashing to the rim. Brunson especially will appreciate the extra space that Towns provides him on the court.
Towns isn’t the best big man at attacking mismatches, but teams may be less willing to switch small players on him if Brunson is on the other end of the two-man action. This reluctance from defenses can open up the pick-and-pop game which Towns is so dangerous in.
The Knicks were already in a good spot in the Eastern Conference, but they recognized that they had to take a risk to catch the likes of the Boston Celtics. Only time will tell if this was the right move, but Towns gives them a punch offensively that they lacked previously.
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