Donte DiVincenzo Wasn’t Enough to Get Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Done as Insider Reveals Catalyst for the Knicks Deal

Persistence at times comes to pay. Such seems to have been the case with the rare and shocking move the New York Knicks pulled for Karl-Anthony Towns. It’s unusual to have any movement with the season weeks approaching. As it turns out, this wasn’t a spontaneous call by the franchise to fill its center void. The allure for Towns in his hometown has been reverberating since draft night, and it took multiple attempts to finally reach a conclusion.

With time, several details around the details of the trade have surfaced. But Shams  Charania broke the entire timeline that goes back months. The NBA insider claims Julius Randle was always part of the package to tempt the Timberwolves to part ways with their most loyal star. It was the additional bribe that required alteration. “They offered Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson that was a hard no” Charania explained.

These attempts were always futile. Given Robinson’s rotten injury history and his lack of flexibility apart from an enforcing center, the Wolves weren’t even willing to listen. But the Knicks’ desperation was moving. They made some changes and added Donte DiVincenzo to the mix. It still didn’t meet eyes with the West powerhouse, but there were signs of adjustment. Finally, the Knicks cracked the formula.

“Then they put the first-round pick on Friday to get this massive deal done. We haven’t seen a deal this big happen on the eve of the season in a while,” the popular insider expanded when speaking to Pat McAfee.

According to The Athletic, the Knicks’ infatuation with Towns is largely due to Leon Rose, the team’s president. Before moving into his role with the franchise, he served as part of Karl-Anthony Towns’ representation. Those ties never melted away and he has chased his pursuit to land his former client over the past couple of seasons.

Finally, through strong resolution, the Knicks’ resilience saw a result. And Towns is back in ‘home’, even though he didn’t want to part ways with his adopted home in Minnesota.