Three days have passed since New York Knicks fans were shocked by the Karl-Anthony Towns trade news. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are in Minnesota. New York got its big.
A Knicks-Timberwolves trade wouldn't go through because of the collective bargaining agreement, so a third team was looped in. The hold-up in the trade becoming official was because of what the Hornets would receive from the teams.
On Tuesday evening, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the full details of the trade. Charlotte is receiving three second-round picks (two from New York and one from Minnesota), DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown, and Duane Washington Jr. The Knicks signed and traded Jeffries, Brown, and Washington Jr. New York also received the draft rights to James Nnaji from Charlotte in the deal.
Fred Katz of The Athletic tweeted that New York had to wait for Washington Jr.'s Partizan buyout to complete its end of the trade. He signed with the team earlier this summer.
Nah. The Duane Washington Jr. buyout with Partizan took some time to get done. That had to become official before the Knicks could sign and trade him to Charlotte. https://t.co/WPfLStT0J5
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) October 2, 2024
Full Knicks-Timberwolves trade details revealed in KAT blockbuster
Nnaji was the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The seven-foot center was originally selected by the Pistons on draft night but was traded to the Hornets.
James Nnaji's official measurements were sent to teams by the NBA today.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 17, 2023
7'0 in shoes
7'7 wingspan
251 pounds
9'4 standing reach
😳
*Measurements were conducted/supervised according to NBA Combine protocols. pic.twitter.com/rUvctOSOV0
He spent last season with Barcelona, where he's been since the 2021-22 season. Nnaji hasn't made his NBA debut.
Towns was at New York's facility on Monday but couldn't participate in Media Day. He can't practice with the team at training camp in Charleston until the deal is official, but that will soon happen now that the full details have been revealed.
What's most impressive about the trade is a key detail that CBS' Sam Quinn pointed out. New York will avoid the second tax apron and have its key players under contract for the next four years.
In simple terms: I see no reason why the Knicks couldn’t keep Brunson, KAT, Bridges, OG and Hart together for four years. They’re basically positioned to go for it while those guys are in their primes, then re-evaluate what makes sense thereafter in the summer of 2028. https://t.co/igQyKKArQj
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) October 1, 2024
The CBA is why the Timberwolves traded KAT months after the team made it to the Western Conference Finals. The Celtics will return their starting five in 2024-25 but will have to make tough decisions in the future to avoid the second apron. Improving the roster as a second tax apron team is virtually impossible.
New York is in it for the long haul. Leon Rose took over in 2020 and has turned the Knicks into a contender. In the same offseason, he orchestrated trades for Mikal Bridges and Towns. Losing Randle and DiVincenzo is tough, but trades don't happen without sacrifice.