Two months ago, New York Knicks fans (and the entire NBA) were thrown for a loop. New ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania tweeted that New York was in talks to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota. Shortly after, Charania reported that Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo would be part of the package.
It took a while for the shock factor to wear off, mainly because it happened a few days before training camp. Knicks fans thought they were in the clear from another seismic offseason trade, but Leon Rose and Co. had another trick up their sleeve.
Trading Randle wasn't a significant surprise, considering he and New York didn't agree to an extension when he became eligible in August. Even then, fans thought Randle would at least spend the first half of the season with the Knicks.
As important as Randle was to New York in his five seasons, the real shock was DiVincenzo's departure. His lone season with the Knicks was, by a wide margin, the best of his career. The Timberwolves can't say they've had the same experience with DiVincenzo, at least not yet. Minnesota hasn't had a positive Randle experience, either.
Randle and DiVincenzo listed as players who could be traded before deadline
The Timberwolves made an impressive run to the Western Conference Finals last season, defeating the reigning champions in the process. Minnesota was criticized for trading KAT after its most successful season in a long time. So far, that criticism has held up.
The Timberwolves have fought to stay at .500. The Randle experience has been a rollercoaster for Minnesota, and DiVincenzo looks nothing like the player he was last season. He's averaging 8.8 points on 35.4% shooting from the field and 33.1% from three.
It's gotten to the point where Randle and DiVincenzo's names have popped up as players who could be traded before the February deadline.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto said Randle "could be a candidate to be flipped in a trade again" and that Minnesota has the "flexibility" to trade DiVincenzo if the team wants. Scotto said executives around the league "still believe" in the guard's three-point shooting even though he's gotten off to a rough start.
The trade's timing didn't do the Timberwolves any favors, as it takes time to acclimate to a new system. Meanwhile, Towns is thriving with the Knicks. He's averaging 25.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. The trade blindsided KAT (and everyone else), but the early returns are overwhelmingly positive for him and New York.
The surprise trade is another reminder for Knicks fans to trust the front office. It might've been tough to see the vision at first, but now, it all makes sense.
