Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly introduces new players in the NBA. From left, Dante DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, and Keita Bates-Diop, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS— The Minnesota Timberwolves were determined enough to take the last two steps to an NBA title — and concerned enough about how tough that could be — that they were willing to part with one of their best and most beloved players to try to do it.
Trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks was the latest bold move by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, a decision to deal a prolific player that could backfire if his production isn’t backfilled. Bracing for the conditions of the new collective bargaining agreement that will make roster-building more difficult for teams with maximum salaries, though, the Wolves saw a way to add depth and keep their window for contention around Anthony Edwards open longer, even if that means subtracting some of their soul and some of their scoring.
READ: NBA: Timberwolves come to terms with Towns trade, training camp
“We don’t trade a person like KAT lightly. We were very specific with what it would take,” Connelly said at Target Center on Thursday, six days after the parameters of the trade for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were agreed to. “Quite frankly, the asking price was very high when you see what these guys accomplished last year. They come from a winning environment.”
As Towns joined the Knicks for training camp in South Carolina, the Wolves held an introductory news conference for Randle, DiVincenzo and Keita Bates-Diop, who also came to his original team in the deal.
For Randle, an All-Star power forward like Towns, the initial surprise of the trade just three days before preseason practice wore off the next morning when he fully realized the friendly situation he was headed into.
“It was a breath of fresh air. I’m excited to bring everything I learned there over the past five years and help these guys out. My only thing here is I just want to help,” Randle said. “I want to help win a championship. So that’s the only thing that matters.”
READ: Timberwolves advancing further in NBA playoffs comes with cost
When the Wolves acquired Rudy Gobert two years ago, the first aggressive trade Connelly made, less than two months after he’d been hired, Towns had to move out of the center spot and transform his game. Randle shrugged off his challenge of doing the same, smiling as he reflected on his previous experience playing for Wolves coach Chris Finch when Finch was an assistant with New Orleans.
“When I left Finch in New Orleans, I wanted him in New York with me because he’s just such a great coach,” said Randle, who had shoulder surgery in April that kept him out of the playoffs with the Knicks but said on Thursday he’s fully recovered. “I’ve always thought he was a genius, and he’s a great communicator who knows how to get the best out of his players.”
DiVincenzo has a team-friendly contract coming off a career-best season, with a championship ring from 2021 with Milwaukee as a bonus. His inclusion was the catalyst for the deal, bringing the Wolves a sharpshooter off the bench they tried to sign the year before. DiVincenzo said his confidence entering 2024-25 is at an “all-time high” after he averaged 15.5 points in 29.1 minutes in his lone year with the Knicks.
“My role continued to grow, and I just took full advantage of the opportunity,” DiVincenzo said.
Towns is one of the best outside-shooting big men in the game, but the Wolves are aiming for an increase in volume from behind the arc.
“You really shouldn’t lead the league in 3-point percentage. That means you’re not shooting enough,” Finch said. “You should be pushing the envelope there. We definitely need to get up more 3s.”