The Philadelphia 76ers don’t really have much going for them in the transactions department with the 2024-25 NBA Season opening in a flash, but the same cannot be said for some teams out there. Just recently, everyone got caught off guard by an incredibly shocking move that changed the tide for most teams looking to get competitive.
For those living under a rock, the Knicks just made a switcheroo with the Timberwolves involving Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle (with Donte DiVincenzo). The move further elevates New York’s ceiling as a contender while Minnesota quickly puzzled many with its counterintuitive reason for pulling the trigger.
New rumor gives the 76ers something to take advantage of
Almost attendant to that eye-popping trade are rumors of the Knicks shopping Mitchell Robinson, their other center, who has now become rather obsolete with Towns on the board. Multiple teams have reportedly started inquiring about his availability, and as reason follows, New York is likely to heed those calls.
That plays to the benefit of the 76ers. The Knicks are almost forced to move Robinson, who is earning a significant amount of money despite what could very well be a bench role for him. If — or when — that actually materializes, Philly can easily take advantage of such to get a leg up on New York.
The 76ers will go where Joel Embiid takes them, and the Knicks, previously known for their physical play style, could very well lose their foundations for such. Towns is not really a strong individual defender, and the 2023 MVP could hunt him for days.
As long as Embiid is healthy, no one on the Knicks can really slow him down one-on-one, and their previous strategy of doubling down on him wouldn’t work anymore with the 76ers now augmented by the likes of Paul George, an improved Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Caleb Martin, among others.
It’s a near certainty that the Philadelphia 76ers will have to get past the New York Knicks and vice-versa, and the latter trading its best interior defender only bodes well for the former.
