Shams Charania on blockbuster Knicks-Timberwolves trade

The NBA’s regular season begins on October 22nd when the New York Knicks visit the defending champion Boston Celtics. Nearly a month before that, New York stunned the basketball world with a blockbuster trade that they hope pulls them even closer to their northeast rival in the fight for Eastern Conference supremacy. The deal encompassed 3-teams and multiple pieces but was ultimately highlighted by New York acquiring 4-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves and relinquishing Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.

In a special live edition of the new podcast Throwbacks, host and diehard Knicks fan Jerry Ferrara was joined by the reporter who broke the story, the Athletic’s Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania. Charania noted that Randle’s inclusion in the trade was always on the table, but it wasn’t until New York upped the ante that the deal came to life.

“Way back, even around draft time, July and into the months of August, a lot of the offers that the Knicks were conceptually discussing, from what I’m told, were around Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. And that just, from Minnesota’s perspective, that was not going to get it done.”

So when did the stalemate begin to turn? According to Charania, a recent escalation from New York helped push talks over the line. “Over the last week is when finally the inclusion of Dante DiVincenzo was made in this proposal, not Mitchell Robinson… Last night [Friday],” continued Charania, “the Knicks, from what I’m told, finally put that first-round pick from Detroit on the table.”

For Karl-Anthony Towns, the trade serves as a reunion with his former Head Coach, Tom Thibodeau. The two were together in Minnesota from 2016 until Thibodeau was fired in January of 2019. Was there any friction or bad blood between the two that could have prevented this trade from happening? Not according to Charania.

“Tom Thibodeau, Karl-Anthony Towns, from everything I’ve heard over the last few years, I don’t think that’s a relationship that has been fractured. They’ve gotten on the same page over the last few years” said Charania. “It always gets better when cooler heads prevail and you get a sense for them, I think the Knicks, their coaching staff, I think they were fully on board with, bringing Karl-Anthony Towns in.”

Towns’ first game back in Minnesota will take place on Thursday, December 19th while Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo’s return to Madison Square Garden occurs on Friday, January 17th.

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