Karl-Anthony Towns Is Officially In NYC: Complete Breakdown Of Knicks-Timberwolves Trade

Its almost official! Well, it had become public knowledge in the past few days that the Timberwolves were dealing Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks. From KAT’s viral reaction in a tweet which had nothing but three dots expressing his shock to him being spotted at the Knicks practice facility ahead of Media Day, it already seemed like a done deal. However, details have finally emerged on the three-team trade and there is surprisingly a lot more movement than the fans initially expected.

As per the latest reports, apart from Minnesota and New York, the Hornets are also involved in the trade. Although the trade call has not taken place yet, here is what each team will reportedly gain in the deal:

Sure enough, the Knicks receive Karl-Anthony Towns who is arguably the biggest superstar involved in this trade. And being a true seven-foot Center, he will be expected to be a rim protector and rebounder, filling the void that Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure has left. Moreover, with his career 39.8% efficiency from deep range, the Knicks also get a star who can spread the floor on offense and give Jalen Brunson and Co. more room to operate while being a constant shooting threat. Apart from KAT, the Knicks will also get the draft rights of James Nnaji from the Hornets. Obviously, the Center was drafted 31 overall last year, but has been playing for Barcelona in the Euro League.

Meanwhile, the Wolves receive Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo from New York. But apart from these two expected stars, the Knicks are also giving them forward Keita Bates-Diop. Well, he had not played a single game for the Knicks as he spent last season in Phoenix and Brooklyn. But Diop is a decent role player who has a career average of 6 points and adds more depth to the Wolves roster. Moreover, the Wolves also gain a 2025 top-13 protected Detroit pick. Sure enough, this trade will boost the team’s chances of winning a championship as they get an All-NBA calibre player in Randle who is a consistent 20+ point scorer. And they also get a sharpshooter in Donte who shot 40.1% from deep range last season. But the Hornets might be the dark horse in this deal.

The Hornets getting several assets in exchange for James Nnaji’s draft rights

Well, so far, the Hornets have only lost the draft rights to James Nnaji in the blockbuster trade. However, they are getting a plethora of assets in return that they can utilize to build their future. First and foremost, they are receiving three future second round picks. Out of them, one is a 2026 Golden State pick via the Knicks and the other is a 2031 pick again via the New York based franchise. Meanwhile the third pick is a 2025 pick via the Wolves.

Apart from several picks, the Hornets also get three young players via a sign and trade from the Knicks, DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown, and Duane Washington Jr. Sure enough, all three have spent a few years in the league and can either be role players or be used as trade assets in a bigger deal. And finally, the Hornets are also getting $7.2 million in cash. While the Knicks and Wolves have made key moves to boost their chances of title contention, the Hornets can use these assets in their rebuilding process. Who do you think is the winner of the KAT trade?