The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off the NBA offseason’s most surprising blockbluster trade on Friday night.
The Knicks reportedly acquired two-time All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick. It’s a move that enhances their starting lineup at the cost of depth pieces.
Before landing Towns, the Knicks’ NBA championship odds sat at +900 — after the trade, their odds improved to +750.
The Knicks currently have the third-best odds of winning the NBA Finals. The Timberwolves currently have the fifth-best odds, listed at +1000.
New York has reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in back-to-back seasons, but it has not advanced to the Conference Finals since the 1998-2000 seasons. The 1998-99 campaign marked the last time it reached the NBA Finals.
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The Timberwolves are coming off their third straight postseason appearance. Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals this past season, but was swept by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves took the 7-foot Towns with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Last season, he averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and notched his fourth career All-Star appearance.
Randle, who agreed to a four-year, $117 million extension with New York in 2021, is coming off an All-Star season in which he averaged 24 PPG, but appeared in only 46 games. DiVincenzo averaged a career-high 15.5 points across 81 games last season.
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