Knicks-Wolves trade could lead to a blockbuster trade from the Pelicans

The New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves sent shockwaves through the entire NBA when they announced that All-Stars Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns would be swapping places as part of a blockbuster trade. Shams Charania first broke the news late Friday night, September 27. As this bomb was dropped during the dead heat of the dog days of the offseason, it became the dominant NBA story of the night within seconds.

Initial reactions were mixed regarding both teams, but the general consensus seems to have the Knicks as the winners of the trade. The full details of the deal have KAT headed to New York in exchange for Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a future first-round pick. The Knicks would also send a small package including draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets to shed the salary needed to make the financial parts of the trade work.

This massive interconference deal will surely have countless effects across the league, and the New Orleans Pelicans might stand to benefit from the Wolves’ salary shed that could knock them down a tier in the West. Not only has Minnesota weakened itself as a direct competitor to New Orleans’s title chances, but this trade might end up opening the door for a major Pelicans acquisition down the line, too.

This isn’t a universally hated trade for Minnesota. While it’s obvious that part of the reasoning behind the deal was to give themselves more financial flexibility, getting back a package consisting of an All-Star in Randle, one of the best shooters in the league in DiVincenzo, and a future first-rounder is nothing to scoff at.

But, there are some real causes for concern that jump out immediately. Firstly, Randle has all of the same weaknesses as KAT — a tendency to shrink under the bright lights, defensive aversion, lack of toughness, etc. — while adding some more major holes that are uniquely his, including an incredibly shaky outside shot.

The Timberwolves “Twin Towers” lineup featuring Towns as the four next to Rudy Gobert was already highly scrutinized despite KAT’s undeniable deep marksmanship. Now that Minnesota has replaced Towns with a much worse shooter (and worse perimeter defender), it’s hard to envision them raising their ceiling without some major internal growth from Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and the other young Wolves, even with DiVincenzo’s added presence.

Not only have they not solved their big man logjam, but they’ve seemingly worsened the fit next to Gobert with Randle. But there’s one simple way for Minny to fix both of those issues. Their new roster after the trade and the obvious problems it has suggests that the Wolves aren’t done making moves.

They could always just try to find another team to take on Randle before the trade deadline, but he’s not a bad fit for the team overall, just a poor complement for Gobert. He’s a better individual shot creator and playmaker than Towns which could make him a great second option for Ant. With that in mind, perhaps it’s time for Minnesota to abandon the Gobert experiment and trade the Stifle Tower away instead.

The Wolves already have Naz Reid who’s a budding star at only 25 years old. He will likely be a free agent next summer, as he has a player option for the 2025-26 season that’ll pay him just $15 million. As a true stretch big, he’d be a seamless fit next to Randle as the full-time starter.

As for how Minnesota would ship off Gobert, there’s a certain team out there that’s in dire need of a defensive-minded center and has the salaries needed to match the four-time Defensive Player of the Year’s rate. If this Randle trade does end up putting Gobert on the trading block, the Pelicans need to come calling.

Adding the Stifle Tower as their anchor could legitimately make the Pelicans the best defense in the league. Gobert’s fit next to Zion isn’t perfect, but Williamson has the playmaking, handle, and athleticism to make it work alongside a paint-bound center, as he did for years with Jonas Valanciunas. Gobert’s vertical spacing would actually make a 4-5 pick-and-roll with Zion extremely intriguing and likely lethal.

A hypothetical trade would see Gobert headed to New Orleans in exchange for Brandon Ingram and salary filler, something like Yves Missi and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. That move would give the Pelicans are starting lineup of CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones, Zion, and Gobert, a perfectly balanced group with plenty of offensive and defensive potential and the talent needed to compete for a title.