Fantasy Impact: Knicks reportedly acquire Karl-Anthony Towns

With Mitchell Robinson (ankle) expected to be sidelined until December of January and Isaiah Hartenstein now a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New York Knicks were headed into training camp in a bad spot regarding post depth. That changed on Friday night, as it was reported that New York will acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from the Timberwolves.

In exchange for the four-time All-Star, the Knicks are giving up Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick (via Detroit). Also, Charlotte will reportedly acquire DaQuan Jeffries and future draft picks from the Knicks. As was the case with last year’s Damian Lillard trade, this is a transaction that will have a significant impact on fantasy basketball.

Knicks acquire: Karl-Anthony Towns

There’s no denying that Towns has been a productive offensive weapon since entering the NBA in 2015, averaging 20.8 points or more in each of the last eight seasons. In 62 games last season, he accounted for 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 2.2 3-pointers in 32.7 minutes, shooting 50.4% from the field and 87.3% from the foul line. That per-game production placed Towns just outside the top 40 in 9-cat value and just inside that threshold in 8-cat. Regarding totals, KAT finished outside the top 50 due to availability.

Moving to New York should remove the glass ceiling from Towns’ fantasy value after sharing the floor with Rudy Gobert for the last two seasons. Before that trade, KAT provided 1st-round per-game value in 9-cat formats for seven straight years. Look for him to return to that production level, with availability being the lingering concern. Over the past five seasons, Towns has surpassed 50 games twice: 2021-22 (74) and 2023-24 (62). It is imperative that he stay healthy for fantasy reasons and to ensure the Knicks remain on track in their quest to sit among the elite in the Eastern Conference.

As for who else this impacts from a fantasy standpoint, Robinson’s already low value takes a significant hit. Despite Towns’ recent injury history, there isn’t much to be gained from stashing MitchRob, given his health issues. Trading Randle frees up minutes at power forward, although Tom Thibodeau may keep Josh Hart in the starting lineup. In this scenario, he would join Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, boosting Hart’s value due to his ability to contribute in multiple categories. Precious Achiuwa, who made all of his starts last season at power forward, could experience a bump in minutes to fill out the rotation, but he’s likely worth a late-round flier at best.

Timberwolves acquire: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick via Detroit

While Minnesota reached the conference finals for the first time in 20 years last season, the price tag of keeping a contending team together was due to get very expensive. Gobert is considered unmovable, making Towns (and his hefty contract) the player to watch. In exchange for KAT, the Timberwolves add two proven players who will slide into the rotation immediately. In Randle’s case, there have been questions regarding offensive spacing between him and Anthony Edwards. For this to work, Julius must return to 2022-23 levels regarding 3-point attempts (8.3 per game).

During that season, he only shot 34.3% and is a career 33.3% shooter from deep, but keeping driving lanes open for Edwards is vital. Randle’s usage should not suffer much, but the isolation opportunities stand to decrease. The 2023-24 campaign was the first time Randle failed to play at least 64 games since his rookie season.

As for DiVincenzo, he’ll have value in Minnesota despite coming off the bench. The second unit needs shooting, and he can certainly provide it. DiVincenzo averaged 3.5 3-pointers per game last season, making 40.1% of his attempts. The “Big Ragu” was a top 75 fantasy player, as his role proved to be larger than many expected before the season began. DiVincenzo may not be a player worth a top-100 pick in standard league drafts, but he is not someone to overlook.

Towns’ departure likely means more time at the center position for Naz Reid, who played just 20% of his minutes at the five last season, according to Cleaning the Glass. By comparison, Reid played 84% or more of his minutes at center in each of the four seasons prior. The offensive ability is unquestioned; whether or not Reid can do more defensively will determine whether or not he becomes a more significant asset to fantasy managers.