The New York Knicks' trade for Karl-Anthony Towns was shocking, but everyone knew the front office had been interested in the former No. 1 overall pick. Leon Rose represented Towns when he ran the CAA basketball division. Tom Thibodeau coached Towns in Minnesota.
Fans learned last week that Mitchell Robinson would miss the first few months of the season. New York checked in with Robinson throughout the offseason, so the news didn't shock the front office. Jake Fischer reported that the Knicks made Julius Randle available in trade talks last week, but it turns out that the All-Star forward could've been traded on draft night.
Shams Charania was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. The NBA insider revealed New York had been in contact with Minnesota all offseason. On draft night, the Knicks reportedly offered the Timberwolves a package of Julius Randle and Robinson. Minnesota shot that offer down.
Shams on KAT: “This is something Knicks were quietly working on for months. Draft night they offered Randle & Mitchell Robinson…hard no. They continued to offer that, no…Finally put DiVincenzo in—still no, but open window…Put the 1st in on Friday & got this massive deal done” pic.twitter.com/Odnpq4zWBz
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) October 1, 2024
Knicks reportedly offered Timberwolves a package of Randle and Robinson
Imagine if that deal had gone through. New York would've made two groundbreaking trades within a week.
It's telling that the Knicks offered Randle to the Timberwolves before he became extension-eligible. It seemed like New York was willing to trade Randle because the two sides didn't agree on a number. It turns out that Randle could've been in Minnesota a lot sooner.
After the trade was reported on Friday, SNY's Ian Begley reported that the Knicks didn't want to include Donte DiVincenzo in the deal. Once the Timberwolves knew he might be available, it was DiVincenzo or no deal. It seems Minnesota values DiVincenzo more than Randle, which makes sense from a contract perspective.
DiVincenzo signed a four-year, $46 million deal with New York last summer. He's coming off the best season of his career. His contract will continue to age well.
Robinson is safe with the Knicks for the time being, but that could change. The center is reportedly still available on the trade market. It's hard to sell a player who will miss the first few months of the season, especially since he has a concerning injury history. However, there are teams that should be interested.
You can't rule anything out. The Knicks keep their cards close to their chests. Nobody saw the Towns trade coming, even though New York made a draft night offer to Minnesota. Maybe Robinson has already played his final game with the Knicks, or maybe not.