NBA Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Was Discussed 'All Summer' by Knicks, Wolves

Even though the blockbuster trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks seemed to come out of nowhere, it was actually in the works for quite some time.

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, the T-Wolves and Knicks had talks "all summer" before really picking up steam in the past few days when they got the Charlotte Hornets involved as a third team.

The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski reported on Friday the Knicks were acquiring Towns to Minnesota for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick via the Detroit Pistons.

Charlotte will receive DaQuan Jeffries and future draft compensation from the Knicks.

There had been talk for awhile that Towns could end up being the odd-man out in Minnesota because the team had $170 million committed to six players and an uncertain ownership situation.

The 2024-25 campaign marks the first season of Towns' four-year, $220.4 million contract that was originally signed in July 2022.

An arbitration hearing in the Timberwolves' ownership dispute is currently scheduled for November. The entire process between the hearing and ruling could take a little more than one month.

There is no indication at this point that the trade was financially motivated, but the Timberwolves' estimated tax bill of $77.5 million is the second-highest in the NBA. The franchise hasn't paid the luxury tax since the modern iteration came into being in 2011, per CBS Sports' Sam Quinn.

The deal certainly makes sense for both teams based on where their rosters needed help going into the season. The Knicks were likely going to be without Mitchell Robinson for the first two months of the regular season due to offseason ankle surgery, per SNY's Ian Begley.

Towns will add more scoring and spacing on the floor for head coach Tom Thibodeau. He has averaged at least 20 points per game in eight consecutive seasons and is a 39.8 percent three-point shooter in his career.

Minnesota has a built-in replacement at center with Naz Reid coming off a breakout season that earned him Sixth Man of the Year honors. DiVincenzo gives the Timberwolves a knockdown three-point shooter to play in the backcourt with Anthony Edwards.

Randle, who missed the final 36 games last season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, is the wild card in the deal. He made the All-Star team three times in the past four seasons, but he has had notable struggles in the postseason.

If the Timberwolves can get the best version of Randle in the regular season and playoffs, they will be set up to challenge for a spot in the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year.