The New York Knicks came out of nowhere when they traded for Karl-Anthony Towns. The deal isn't two weeks old, but Towns already made his unofficial Knicks debut. Donte DiVincenzo played in Minnesota's first preseason game, but Julius Randle sat because of his shoulder.
New York fans know that the team was interested in Towns for a long time. Leon Rose represented KAT before he took over as president of basketball operations. There was always chatter about a potential Knicks trade.
It turns out that KAT could've been a Knick on draft night. Shams Charania reported that New York offered Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson to Minnesota. The Knicks didn't want to part with Donte DiVincenzo, but sending him to the Timberwolves was required to push the deal past the finish line.
Some fans are still processing the trade. It all happened so fast. DiVincenzo went from being part of the Villanova Knicks to hitting threes for the Timberwolves in the preseason. It will be odd when Minnesota visits New York on Sunday for a preseason matchup. Seeing DiVincenzo and Randle on the opposing sideline will take a while to get used to.
Knicks tried to acquire Walker Kessler before trading for KAT
There are still plenty of plans that oppose the trade. Nobody wanted DiVincenzo to leave, and many fans wanted to see Randle play with the starting lineup before deciding on his future. There will always be questions about what might've been.
Even though the Knicks and Timberwolves engaged in trade talks over the summer about KAT, New York tried to acquire a young center before the blockbuster trade. NBA insider Marc Stein reported (subscription required) that the Knicks "made multiple runs at Utah's Walker Kessler to fill its well-chronicled void at center."
What kept that deal from going through? Danny Ainge. Stein added that it's "believed" that the Jazz wanted at least two first-round picks for Kessler.
New York sent one first-round pick to Minnesota in the Towns trade via Detroit, and it's protected. The Knicks paid a high price by sending Randle and DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves, but it was for a proven player.
Kessler has two seasons under his belt. He started 22 of the 64 games he played last season for Utah. The 23-year-old has a high ceiling, but KAT has seamlessly slid into the starting center role.
Ainge's price tag turned New York away. The Knicks pivoted back to KAT and managed to negotiate a deal. It's too early to determine if it was the right move, but the early returns look good. That doesn't mean New York won't miss Randle and DiVincenzo, though.