The New York Knicks were willing to take risks to find Jalen Brunson the perfect co-star. They broke up their four-man core of Villanova products before their first game all together, trading Donte DiVincenzo along with Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns.
That risk is paying off, big time.
Even if it still stings fans to have lost DiVincenzo and the full extents of any potential Villanova magic, New York made the right call when they sacrificed both to acquire KAT from the T-Wolves. The proof is in the pudding: their second-straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance (and Towns' third).
Fortune continues to favor the Knicks' bold trade decisions
The trade with the Timberwolves left the Knicks with a roster featuring two stars infamous for delivering elite offensive impact at the cost of defense. They even had to draft four rookies, to a roster coached by Tom Thibodeau, to be able to afford all of the premium contracts and stay under the salary cap's first apron.
The passing of time, and a coaching change, have proven that the insulation of Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and the rest of New York's two-way talent is enough for the Knicks to deliver historically strong results.
Randle, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily seem to have changed all that much. The star forward is still immensely skilled, with the ability to impose his will on defenses either at the rim or with step-back jump shots.
But his 17-point, 10-rebound performance in the Wolves' Game 5 loss to the San Antonio Spurs came on 6-17 shooting. He missed all four of his 3-point attempts. And Randle's plus-minus of -22 was his team's worst (and the game low). Naz Reid's mark of -21 was right behind Randle's, with Victor Wembanyama proving to be a tough matchup for anyone.
Towns shining in new Knicks role, T-Wolves one loss away from WCF miss
The Timberwolves knew Wemby would be in their conference for years to come when they made this trade, though. The major sell, with regard to the deal from Minnesota's perspective, was supposed to be that the team's books would clear up immensely going forward without being locked into paying Towns more than $50 million annually.
However, while the Wolves have made smart trades in the meantime (such as rescuing Ayo Dosunmu from his previous situation), they haven't exactly made any life-changing trades with that flexibility.
And the Knicks are getting more out of Towns in his new role as a playmaker than anyone has in the past.
Even Giannis Antetokounmpo is, finally, reportedly ready to join a new squad. But he remains a member of the Milwaukee Bucks as the Knicks have already qualified for the ECF – and the Wolves are down 3-2 on their side of the bracket.
Until the Timberwolves can make something special happen, which is frankly a yearly possibility for any organized basketball team that employs Anthony Edwards, the Knicks are going to look smart for coming out of the trade with the best player. Especially if he continues to shine in a Nikola Jokic-esque manner.
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