Timberwolves take a step back and cut their salary

After the Minnesota Timberwolves lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the conference finals, the spotlight turned entirely to Karl-Anthony Towns. The good vibes of a great performance in the conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets – 18.6 points per game and solid defense by Nikola Jokic – were wiped out by a terrible five games against the Mavs in which Towns made just 37.9% of his shots hit – and 24.2% of his threes. “It will be good for us to use that experience … to understand the discipline we need to make a deep run,” Towns said after the T-Wolves’ elimination, adding, “The plan is, here.” to be (next season).”

So much for the plans. Towns’ ninth season in Minnesota was his last, with the Timberwolves on Friday agreeing to a deal that would send Towns, a four-time All-Star, to the New York Knicks in exchange for a package that includes Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick.

The deal caused a stir throughout the NBA – and across NBA social media. Why would Minnesota, months away from its first conference finals appearance in two decades and with a roster poised for organic growth, release its All-NBA big man? As polarizing as Towns is, he is a scorer of around 20 points per game, a shooter of around 50 percent and a shooter of around 40 percent from three-point range. And why would New York dump Randle and spin off a valuable member of the still Nova-ey ‘Nova? Knicks before playing a game together?

New York ending the deal is entirely understandable. The Knicks had had their eye on Towns for years, even before Jalen Brunson became him Jalen Brunson and brought the team to contender status. Brunson’s emergence in the second half of last season only increased the urgency to build a floor-spacing, five-man team around him. Enter Towns, who shot 41.6% on three-pointers last season, a pick-and-roll terror who, despite Minnesota’s revolving door in the coach’s office, has measurably improved every offense he’s been on the field with.

The recent injury to Mitchell Robinson, who is expected to be out for at least a few months recovering from left ankle surgery, may have added to the urgency. Robinson’s injury, coupled with Isaiah Hartenstein’s trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, left the Knicks razor-thin at center, with Randle the likely starter (sources say Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau was never keen on Randle as a full-time five-man) . and Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims off the bench. New York has refused to include DiVincenzo in deals – DiVincenzo signed one very team-friendly four-year, $50 million contract in 2023 – in recent months. The hole in the middle was enough for this.

When he’s healthy — and the 28-year-old Towns has struggled with injuries in recent years — Towns solves the problem. He’s a minutes hog (Towns averaged 35.6 per game in ’17-18, his last full season playing for Thibodeau in Minnesota), a reliable rebounder who should fit seamlessly into the Knicks’ rotation (sources According to Thibs, he’s excited about it). Coaching Towns again).

There are potential defensive issues, and it’s worth watching how the relaxed Towns fits into the New York media market. And the Knicks will I miss DiVincenzo, who is expected to be the leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year this season. But as far as basketball goes, it makes sense.

For Minnesota? Not so much. The immediate reaction from rival executives after the deal was announced: This is about money. Towns has four years and $220.4 million left on his contract, a number that seems even larger when you factor in the big deals for Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. With Minnesota’s ownership group in the midst of one game of ThronesWhile it was a battle for control of the franchise, there were persistent rumors that the T-Wolves wouldn’t have freebies for long. Outsourcing the Towns contract will provide significant financial relief.

It’s harder to see improvement in basketball. The T-Wolves will spin a scenario in which Randle takes over the starting position from Towns, Naz Reid takes on a larger role and DiVincenzo fills a hole on the bench left by the departure of Kyle Anderson, adding a high-volume three-point shooter to the mix added to a rate of 40%. Meanwhile, general manager Tim Connelly is adding a first-rounder (a top-10 protected pick from the Detroit Pistons) to be used in future deals. But Randle isn’t the three-point shooter that Towns is — he shot 31.1% last season and, aside from a breakout 2020-21 season, has been largely average to below-average from three-pointers — which is true for Gobert can lead to potential problems with tract blockage. There’s also the matter of the 29-year-old Randle, who is effectively entering a contract year and no doubt eager to make money again.

For Minnesota, this is little more than a step backwards. And in the Western Conference, where a handful of wins could be the difference between a top-four finish and a spot in the play-in field, any A step back could be disastrous. The Timberwolves had a conference finals team that beat the Phoenix Suns and beat the defending champion Nuggets before being beaten by the more experienced Mavericks. Now seems like a strange time to end it.