The New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off the NBA offseason's most surprising blockbluster trade on Friday night.
The Knicks reportedly acquired two-time All-NBA center Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for forward Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick. It's a move that enhances their starting lineup at the cost of depth pieces.
Before landing Towns, the Knicks' NBA championship odds sat at +900 — after the trade, their odds improved to +750.
The Knicks currently have the third-best odds of winning the NBA Finals. The Timberwolves currently have the fifth-best odds, listed at +1000.
New York has reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in back-to-back seasons, but it has not advanced to the Conference Finals since the 1998-2000 seasons. The 1998-99 campaign marked the last time it reached the NBA Finals.
The Timberwolves are coming off their third straight postseason appearance. Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals this past season, but was swept by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves took the 7-foot Towns with the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Last season, he averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and notched his fourth career All-Star appearance.
Randle, who agreed to a four-year, $117 million extension with New York in 2021, is coming off an All-Star season in which he averaged 24 PPG, but appeared in only 46 games. DiVincenzo averaged a career-high 15.5 points across 81 games last season.
