Karl-Anthony Towns Traded to New York (Official Discussion Thread)

[Calinks]

I think a lot of people will change their tune about Randle. He isn't a bad player. He has flaws, he isn't as skilled as Towns, but he fights. My biggest issue with KAT in the last few seasons were the crazy and costly mental mistakes. The fouls, and stupid choices. Just having Randle out there will eliminate a lot of that. Yes Randle has his own warts but I think he will be more of a role player here. He wont have to carry the team like he had to in NY for so long.

He does less but he wont bring the same issues Towns did and like I said, he could wind up being a better role fit for us than Towns who had to really change his game to work with Rudy.

The way I saw it, though Towns stepped up big on defense of us, we were getting like a 70 percent optimal version of Towns on offense. We could not figure out how to let him play to his full potential with Rudy and Ant. If we can get 100 percent of Randle on this team, that is as good if not better than that 70 percent of Towns we have been getting. Give Randle a chance.

[shrink]

Does this open the door for something else? Is Ant trying to convince TC to bring KD in??

I’m not saying I want this just a thought

While this deal cuts salary, we’re still the second most expensive team in the NBA, and still above the lux, first and second apron, so it doesn’t remove any trading restrictions.

[Luv those Knicks]

Those are pathetic stats, he SUCKED worse than Kat ever did in playoffs. He’s also an extremely unlikeable player that will need a new contract soon.

I don't think Randle's as dislikable as you say, though we can each have our own opinions. He was very frustrated when NY was losing, but he seemed to be a good teammate for the last 2 years. He's physical. Good rebounder. Could be better on defense. Plays facilitator sometimes. His low efficiency on offense can be a little frustrating, but he draws the defense and sometimes gets a good assist. He's not a bad guy and he wants to win.

Knick fans, interestingly, seem more upset about trading Donte than Randle. I wanted to see how Randle would work with our new roster, but KAT has a ton of talent. This is an interesting trade for us. Is your GM just shedding salary with Randle being an expiring deal?

[GopherIt!]

They needed a long term #2 option if/when they traded KAT. Orange Julius is not the long term answer. Don't see a path to add a true #2 option for Ant.

I also don't like the fact TC traded a ton of #1 picks for Rudy & now only receives 1 highly protected 1st from NYK for the former #1 overall 2015 pick. That's horrible asset management imo.

TC should have traded KAT for assets + picks and rerouted assets + picks to Utah for Rudy. Unless KAT's value was already that low at the time. Idk.

[Neeva]

I think a lot of people will change their tune about Randle. He isn't a bad player. He has flaws, he isn't as skilled as Towns, but he fights. My biggest issue with KAT in the last few seasons were the crazy and costly mental mistakes. The fouls, and stupid choices. Just having Randle out there will eliminate a lot of that. Yes Randle has his own warts but I think he will be more of a role player here. He wont have to carry the team like he had to in NY for so long.

He does less but he wont bring the same issues Towns did and like I said, he could wind up being a better role fit for us than Towns who had to really change his game to work with Rudy.

The way I saw it, though Towns stepped up big on defense of us, we were getting like a 70 percent optimal version of Towns on offense. We could not figure out how to let him play to his full potential with Rudy and Ant. If we can get 100 percent of Randle on this team, that is as good if not better than that 70 percent of Towns we have been getting. Give Randle a chance.

I am fine with Kat in the regular season it’s the post season where he sucks ass but the hardest thing about this trade is Randall is even WORSE than Kat in the playoffs. I just hate this for us, unless Randall is on the way out to a third team.

[MN7725]

I think a lot of people will change their tune about Randle. He isn't a bad player. He has flaws, he isn't as skilled as Towns, but he fights. My biggest issue with KAT in the last few seasons were the crazy and costly mental mistakes. The fouls, and stupid choices. Just having Randle out there will eliminate a lot of that. Yes Randle has his own warts but I think he will be more of a role player here. He wont have to carry the team like he had to in NY for so long.

He does less but he wont bring the same issues Towns did and like I said, he could wind up being a better role fit for us than Towns who had to really change his game to work with Rudy.

The way I saw it, though Towns stepped up big on defense of us, we were getting like a 70 percent optimal version of Towns on offense. We could not figure out how to let him play to his full potential with Rudy and Ant. If we can get 100 percent of Randle on this team, that is as good if not better than that 70 percent of Towns we have been getting. Give Randle a chance.

Randle at his best is a point forward, like Kyle Anderson

Obviously Randle is a way better scorer and shooter than KA, but don't see how that works better with Rudy/ANT than KAT who was guarded 30 feet away from the basket

Randle would actually be at his best with a player like KAT/ B Lopez/ Turner/ Chet

[shrink]

Is your GM just shedding salary with Randle being an expiring deal?

I think that’s the general consensus here, to cut money to sign Naz Reid next summer.

Randle isn’t nothing, and he can be useful as we try to contend this year. However, Towns is a better answer if the focus really was on winning this year. I think it’s a restructuring for longterm competitiveness, on the court and financially.

[GopherIt!]

while I like DDV, this kinda feels like trading KG for the Al Jefferson poo poo platter all over again.

[shangrila]

while I like DDV, this kinda feela like trading KG for the Al Jefferson poo poo platter all over again.

KAT is nowhere close to KG so it's not a great comparison.

Realistically people should be taking a second to contemplate whether their valuations of KAT's trade value might have been wrong. In typical fashion the majority are burying their heads in the sand and screaming that everyone that doesn't agree with them is an idiot.

[TwolvesFanRome]

I can't believe it...

Two nuggets for KAT.

I really don't like this s**t.

explain to me in a simple way where is the profit?

[GopherIt!]

while I like DDV, this kinda feels like trading KG for the Al Jefferson poo poo platter all over again.

KAT is nowhere close to KG so it's not a great comparison.

Realistically people should be taking a second to contemplate whether their valuations of KAT's trade value might have been wrong. In typical fashion the majority are burying their heads in the sand and screaming that everyone that doesn't agree with them is an idiot.

of course, that's why I said 'kinda feels like'. KG is a HoF, champion and Wolves goat.

KG & KAT are #1-2 options on a contender. Neither Big Al nor Randle are that. You have two heavy set, earthbound PF's who are inefficient chuckers and poor defenders. Big Al never won anything and neither will Randle.

Kat played well vs the reigning league MVP, helping us knock the defending champions out of the playoffs and getting us to the WCF. Definitely some interesting concerning similaries to these two trades.

[Note30]

while I like DDV, this kinda feela like trading KG for the Al Jefferson poo poo platter all over again.

KAT is nowhere close to KG so it's not a great comparison.

Realistically people should be taking a second to contemplate whether their valuations of KAT's trade value might have been wrong. In typical fashion the majority are burying their heads in the sand and screaming that everyone that doesn't agree with them is an idiot.

It's not about trade value it's about what he meant to this franchise. Yes he's not KG but he is one the most tenured players here. He represents a whole decade and all the good and bad times had. To just cast him aside for two players who are objectively worse is disgusting. What's even worse than that is the manner in which it happened.

Things are deeper than a representation on an Excel sheet somewhere. It's a sport and we are fans. If we were at Morgan Stanley crunching numbers on some commodity that's one thing, but this is inherently emotional or we wouldn't be investing time and energy into this.

[Neeva]

I can't believe it...

Two nuggets for KAT.

I really don't like this s**t.

explain to me in a simple way where is the profit?

Hopefully this deal isn’t done yet, and a third team is involved. Randall is not a player we need to win the west.

[shangrila]

For the record, I don't love or hate this deal. I pitched something similar to this a while back and made my case then so I won't rehash the whole thing, but the short version is that statistically Randle gives you something like 75% of KAT's production for 60% of the cost. In the modern NBA that's important. Donte is great too, although that pick is window dressing unless the Pistons have a magical season.

I do think people were always overrating Towns' trade value. For as good as he is, there's plenty of other elements that drag him down including:
- Overpaid: Even with the rising cap his supermax was massive and isn't getting better. It's also incredibly unlikely he would have even qualified under the new positionless system.
- Injury issues: He's only played over 70 games once in the last 5 seasons and has had persistent knee issues that have kept him out for extended periods. This is unlikely to get better and is more likely to get worse as he ages and plays more minutes.
- Playoff struggles: While he played well against Denver the general consensus always seemed to be that he was a net minus in the playoffs. Whether that matches personal opinion is irrelevant, since that was a persistent talking point from people plugged into FOs.
- Turnovers/General BBIQ issues: We all saw the baby deer drives into the paint, the constant offensive fouls, the brain dead decisions to close games. If we saw them, so did everyone else in the league.

I'll see how this plays out. Everyone hated the Rudy trade but it led to our best season in 20 years.

[TwolvesFanRome]

I can't believe it...

Two nuggets for KAT.

I really don't like this s**t.

explain to me in a simple way where is the profit?

Hopefully this deal isn’t done yet, and a third team is involved. Randall is not a player we need to win the west.

Shouldn't any news have already come out?

[Neeva]

Connely followed the Rudy trade with an amazing trade dlo for Conley, so he needs to do that type of magic again in follow up trade.

[shangrila]

while I like DDV, this kinda feela like trading KG for the Al Jefferson poo poo platter all over again.

KAT is nowhere close to KG so it's not a great comparison.

Realistically people should be taking a second to contemplate whether their valuations of KAT's trade value might have been wrong. In typical fashion the majority are burying their heads in the sand and screaming that everyone that doesn't agree with them is an idiot.

It's not about trade value it's about what he meant to this franchise. Yes he's not KG but he is one the most tenured players here. He represents a whole decade and all the good and bad times had. To just cast him aside for two players who are objectively worse is disgusting. What's even worse than that is the manner in which it happened.

Things are deeper than a representation on an Excel sheet somewhere. It's a sport and we are fans. If we were at Morgan Stanley crunching numbers on some commodity that's one thing, but this is inherently emotional or we wouldn't be investing time and energy into this.

Cast him aside? Give me a break. We sent him to an Eastern contender, to (roughly) his home town and one of the premier markets in the league. I'd argue we did him a favour honestly, the Knicks have a better chance of winning the title than we do (with or without KAT).

If you want to care about "tenure" then that's your choice, personally I don't. He's a nice guy and I wish him well, but he was just a repeat of Kevin Love. The only difference is he stuck around to get supermaxed.

[shrink]

I can't believe it...

Two nuggets for KAT.

I really don't like this s**t.

explain to me in a simple way where is the profit?

Hopefully this deal isn’t done yet, and a third team is involved. Randall is not a player we need to win the west.

Shouldn't any news have already come out?

Taking back Towns contract pushed NYK’s payroll above the apron, so they needed to dump more salary to complete this trade, which apparently they did with Charlotte. One thing I want to know is how much of his 15% Trade Kicker did Randle agree to?

Deals aren’t official until they are approved by the league office. As fans, we consider them completed when the teams announce them.

[shrink]

KAT is nowhere close to KG so it's not a great comparison.

Realistically people should be taking a second to contemplate whether their valuations of KAT's trade value might have been wrong. In typical fashion the majority are burying their heads in the sand and screaming that everyone that doesn't agree with them is an idiot.

It's not about trade value it's about what he meant to this franchise. Yes he's not KG but he is one the most tenured players here. He represents a whole decade and all the good and bad times had. To just cast him aside for two players who are objectively worse is disgusting. What's even worse than that is the manner in which it happened.

Things are deeper than a representation on an Excel sheet somewhere. It's a sport and we are fans. If we were at Morgan Stanley crunching numbers on some commodity that's one thing, but this is inherently emotional or we wouldn't be investing time and energy into this.

Cast him aside? Give me a break. We sent him to an Eastern contender, to (roughly) his home town and one of the premier markets in the league. I'd argue we did him a favour honestly, the Knicks have a better chance of winning the title than we do (with or without KAT).

Well, Towns certainly said and demonstrated that he wanted to be in Minnesota. We also sent him to be coached by Thibs, the guy that threw him under the bus during his Jimmy fiasco. On top of this. Thibs will likely demand KAT goes back to defending with drop coverage, which he hates.

I suspect KAT doesn’t think Connelly did him a favor tonight.

[Sothron]

I am disgusted by this trade. Randle is a bum. DD is a backup SG. The first from Detroit? Yeah, that's one of those horrible fake firsts that has so many protections it will never convey.

So we give up the best shooting big man in NBA history, a key piece to a team that was poised to go to the Finals for the first time...for this **** platter. This is KG for Al Jefferson 2.0 with the key difference being Al Jefferson was actually good. Randle is a bum. He's one of, if not the, most overrated player in the NBA because he played in NY.

It also sounds like KAT found out through this on Twitter/X instead of being told by the team. Just sad.