After the Minnesota Timberwolves’ conference finals loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, Karl-Anthony Towns is in the spotlight. The good vibes of a terrific conference semifinal performance against the Denver Nuggets—18.6 points per game and some solid defense from Nikola Jokic—were washed away by a terrible five games against the Mavs, in which Towns connected on just 37.9% of his shots—and 24.2% of his threes. “It will be good for us to get this experience … we have to run deep to understand the discipline,” Downs said after the T-Wolves were eliminated, “and the plan is here to stay. [next season].”
So much for plans. Downs’ ninth season in Minnesota will be his last, and on Friday the Timberwolves agreed to a deal structure that would send Downs, a four-time All-Star, to the New York Knicks in exchange for a package that included Julius Randle and Donte. DiVincenzo and a future first-round pick.
The deal raised eyebrows across the NBA—and across NBA social media. Why would Minnesota, months removed from its first conference finals appearance in two decades and with a roster primed for organic growth, load up on its All-NBA big man? As polarizing as Downs, he’s a 20-ish point per game scorer, a 50-ish percentage shooter who shoots 40 from three-point range. Why would New York dump Randle and further strip Noah of a valuable member of the Noah? Beating before playing together?
The conclusion of New York’s agreement is quite understandable. Even before the Jalen Brunson move, the Knicks had been eyeing Towns for years Jalen Brunson And made the team a contender. Brunson’s emergence in the second half of last season, with a floor space around him, increased the urgency to build a five-man group. Enter Downs, a 41.6% three-point shooter last season, is a pick-and-roll terrorist who measurably improved every offense he had on the floor despite a revolving door in Minnesota’s coaching office.
The latest injury to Mitchell Robinson, who is expected to be at least two months away from left ankle surgery, could add to the rush. Robinson’s injury, along with the departure of Isaiah Hardenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder, left the Knicks wafer-thin in the middle, Randle the starter (sources say Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau never had a full-time five on Randle) and Precious Achiua and Jericho Sims off the bench. New York has resisted adding DiVincenzo to contracts—DiVincenzo signed Very much A team-friendly four-year, $50 million contract through 2023—in recent months. That hole in the middle proved to be enough to do it.
If healthy — and the 28-year-old Downs has struggled with injuries in recent years — Downs has it covered. He’s a minute-cobbler (Downs averaged 35.6 in ’17-18, his last full season for Thibodeau in Minnesota), and a reliable rebounding five who should fit seamlessly into the Knicks’ rotation (Thibs, sources say, is interested in coaching Downs again).
There are potential defensive issues, and it’s worth looking at how the cities laid out fit into the New York media market. And the Knicks i will eat Miss DiVincenzo is the sixth Man of the Year nominee this season. But basketball-wise, it makes sense.
Minnesota? Not so much. Immediate reaction from competition executives after the deal was leaked: It’s about money. Downs has four years and $220.4 million remaining on his contract, which looks even bigger when Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have big contracts. One among Minnesota’s franchise groups game of thronesAs with the battle for control of the franchise, there are constant whispers that the T-Wolves won’t be free-spenders for long. Loading the Towns contract will bring significant financial relief.
It’s hard to see basketball progress. The D-Wolves will rotate a scenario where Randle steps into Downs’ starting spot, Naz Reed plays a bigger role and DiVincenzo fills the void left by Kyle Anderson’s departure, adding a high-volume, 40% three-point shooter to the mix. . Meanwhile, general manager Tim Connelly is adding a first-rounder (a top-10 protected Detroit Pistons pick) to use in future deals. But it’s not the three-point shooter that is Randle Downs—he shot 31.1% last season and has a breakout 2020-21 season, mostly below average from three—that creates potential lane-clogging issues with Gobert. Randle, 29, is entering a practical contract year and is undoubtedly eager to cash in one more time.
For Minnesota, it’s hard to see this as a step back. And in the Western Conference, a few wins can mean the difference between a top-four seed and a spot in the play-in field. Any Backsliding can be disastrous. The Timberwolves had a conference finals team that swept the Phoenix Suns and defeated the defending champion Nuggets by the more experienced Mavericks. Now feels like an odd time to break it.
