Minny won this trade. KAT is massively overrated, essentially a lateral move with Randle and they get Divincenzo
Agree that I think long term Minn wins this deal. I'd say DiVencenzo is on the best contract of those 3. I think KAT is better than Randle by a good bit, but think Randle's contract will make it easier for Minn to improve their team than KAT on his contract. Just a weird trade. NYK starting to look thin and running out of ways to improve their team if this doesn't work.
Towns makes the Knicks better. Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, McBride, Achiuwa, and Robinson is a strong 8 man team. Very strong starting 5. They need a backup for Brunson. They're still behind the Celtics, but I'll take them over the Sixers and Bucks or whoever else. The Wolves might be alright. Edwards will need to take a leap. He could play better in the midrange, average 30 points per game, and mature a bit. Conley will need one more great point guard season to make Randle better. DiVincenzo is better than Alexander. Randle probably screws up the team in the end.
Should be interesting to see how it works out for both teams. KAT was like a big Gumby Giraffe trying to guard the perimeter at the 4 spot. Randle will be better there. Neither guy has a strong history of playoff performances. DiVincenzo brings the shooting and Randle is much better as a face up 4 than KAT. Usage rate between Towns and Randle is pretty similar. Could actually work out well for Minnesota simply because they have Gobert and Reid to play the 5 already. From the Knicks point of view this is a steal. KAT can play the 5 and bring elite spacing. DiVincenzo wasn't a likely starter for them, and their wing depth was a strength. Randle didn't seem necessary at the 4 spot, and can't play the 5 effectively, they prefer OG as their 4, so this is a huge upgrade to get a scoring big who can space the floor and rebound. Also experienced at the 4.
Yep, super interesting trade that makes both theoretically better balanced squads. Minny gets financial flexibility and why I think they win this trade.
Is the old/current owner shedding salary and making the team worse before the new owners win in court?
Woof Karl has a lot of flaws in his game as a tall man, but the current roster construction in Minny was great for him. Pressure was off with Ant being the #1. He’s an elite shooter and can be a great individual defender. not only did they get inferior players in return, they got players that don’t fit. This kills spacing with Gobert already on the team (which is still another disaster of a trade). mind boggling. A rare good move for the Knicks
DDV is the best player in this deal. Huge win for the Wolves. If Randle sucks and Gobert ages out they can now have a chance at a reboot in three years and Ant will still only be 26. You have to be Jokic level good on offense if you don’t protect the rim as a big and Towns ain’t close to that.
It doesn’t kill spacing if Randle doesn’t close. Reid replaces Towns or DDV replaces Towns in the closing lineup. I don’t think people realize how awesome DDV was last year as a shooter. He was the best off ball shooter in the league. 9 three attempts a game at 40% and he can guard.
Randle is in the last year of his contract, isn't he? I suspect they won't bring him back and may even move him at or before the deadline if there is anybody interested. DDV fits well there. And the 1st round pick is useful. On the other side of the deal, the Knicks were desperate for another big body after they lost Hartenstein and got hit with the news Mitchell Robinson may not be back until as late as January. KAT may not be much of a defensive presence, but I can see a world in which guys like Hart, Bridges and Anunoby can hide him some. Still, KAT and Brunson on the floor at the same time is going to be tough on their defense. They might have the best offense in the league though - and hell, they're going to have to have the best offense in the league to offset their defensive weaknesses with those two. I think it'll be more interesting once Robinson is back and they can switch who plays where depending on match ups.
The good thing is that defense isn't necessarily as important during the regular season. They just need to get Mitchell back in January and start prepping for the playoffs then. They will be alright. Offensively, they will be able to blast teams out of the park and be in good position to have a high seed for next year's playoffs.
