Moderators: HerSports85, NoLayupRule, GONYK, Jeff Van Gully, dakomish23, Deeeez Knicks, mpharris36, j4remi
god shammgod wrote:I gotta give it to Leon. This was a hell of a long con. He built up a lot of good will before he left us capped out with no assets and with an oft injured flawed one way overpaid star. Usually that happens sooner lol
mpharris36 wrote:Deeeez Knicks wrote:mpharris36 wrote:who is Jakoba Reynolds?
Not buying that one
I wouldn't put it past the Lakers to offer that...but I seriously don't think the Knicks would entertain that offer.
Now Trey Murphy is a different story. I think he would fit like a glove on the roster. He can play anywhere from the 2-4 in stints. But he is a really good player which I know you know.
It would signal the Knicks would just be going KAT at full time 5 which would be something. But there would also be no team that could match our shooting and we would be extremely switchable on defense.
I just don't see the NOP trading Murphy for Mitch...even though NOP is desperate for a center....the money would be really tough to match as well in that scenario.
TheGreenArrow wrote:?s=46&t=W09F6FrMDfp5_y1gKYgF1g
thebuzzardman wrote:E-Balla wrote:3toheadmelo wrote:Why tf we going after more wings?
Christian wood is like a poor man’s KAT.
God no.
I'd be for Tre Murphy.
Christian Wood is the Lakers offering scraps, doubt Knicks were interested
E-Balla wrote:Our offense was not the issue in the playoffs man. The Sixers cooked our defense, the Pacers cooked our defense, we're responding by crippling that unit.
TheGreenArrow wrote:?s=46&t=W09F6FrMDfp5_y1gKYgF1g
E-Balla wrote:god shammgod wrote:I gotta give it to Leon. This was a hell of a long con. He built up a lot of good will before he left us capped out with no assets and with an oft injured flawed one way overpaid star. Usually that happens sooner lol
Man I thought OG was just a blip I didn't realize we were trying to pay Leon's guys.
snadler wrote:BrOnXKing1 wrote:god shammgod wrote:I gotta give it to Leon. This was a hell of a long con. He built up a lot of good will before he left us capped out with no assets and with an oft injured flawed one way overpaid star. Usually that happens sooner lol
Leon did alot of good things here, hes the best gm we had in a long time. But the Kat deal has me a bit puzzled. Randle was an iron man outside of this freak shoulder injury and Donte is one of best 3 point shooters in the game. We would have had some of the best depth in the nba. We should have saw what this team could do. If it wasnt working out, than trade for Kat or someone else in the middle of the season
Depth wasn't going to beat Boston.
Knicksfan1992 wrote:Was busy this weekend so I didn’t get to post my thoughts here… Obviously, just in shock that something like this happened now.
I always maintained that I would understand if they traded for KAT even if I didn’t necessarily agree with the premise, but I understand the basketball reasoning behind it. That’s basically what I feel now. I honestly didn’t think they’d do it now and not at least give this roster a shot before sending Randle packing. However, it does kind of stay in line with their philosophy that they would not lose contract control on anyone. Basically, it seems like they saw the writing on the wall with the Randle upcoming FA and got out ahead of it.
I lean towards not liking this trade from the Knicks perspective but, I can talk myself into liking it at the same time lol. While I understand that the offensive fit with KAT is much cleaner than Randle’s was, I just can’t shake the feeling that Randle is just as effective of a basketball player as KAT is. Maybe in a different way but, to me, their impacts are similar… So taking that into account you are also giving up your best guard shooter who is also a great hustle guy and another draft asset for the privilege of bringing in someone who IMO is on the same tier as the other piece your sending out. On top of that KAT’s contract is an albatross. You’re taking a massive risk that if KAT doesn’t look good or maybe our ceiling gets capped because of his playoff under-performance, his contract becomes a negative quickly. From a pure asset perspective my feeling is that the Knicks have lost this trade. Maybe that doesn’t necessarily matter if you’re chasing a championship but, I can’t shake that feeling.
That being said, at least in the regular season, KAT is a special offensive big man. If he is your 5, you can truly play “5 out”. I know he gets memed for his “best shooting big man ever” quote but he genuinely is up there. Over the last 5 seasons he’s at 40.2% on nearly 6 attempts a game. That’s not only among the best big men over that time period, but also, in general, he’s an elite shooter. For how much I’ve defended Julius on here, he does not have a skill that is as elite as KAT’s shooting is. Combine that with the fact that KAT is a good post up player too, you have a great 1B to go with Brunson. The Knicks now have a chance at having the best offense in the league. I don’t think there was ever a chance with the previous roster that they could say and do that.
Also, given what the rest of the Knicks roster looks like, I think this is kind of the best personnel you could have to survive with KAT at the 5 defensively. Mikal, OG, Hart, Precious and McBride are all credible and versatile defenders. Which is why I’m struggling to decide if I actually just like the trade or don’t lol. Maybe that plays into how polarizing both Julius and Towns are. When you trade one polarizing player for another, it’s hard to make sense of the whole thing. Saying that didn’t really solve the issue that Julius presented of being a 4-5 tweener. KAT presents the same issue just in a different way. He’s bigger which helps but, his fundamentals and intangibles are just so poor on defense. He’s foul prone, his footwork is trash tier and now hasn’t played 5 on defense, full time, in 2 years… I just can’t see that being the anchor of our defense and playing him at the 4 creates other issues defensively too.
I appreciate the FO trying to get out in front of a potential problem in a proactive way but, I just wonder if there was a better risk to take if they remained patient with Julius.
ophdog wrote:Does anyone consider the fact that if we negotiated to try to keep Randle and we couldn't agree maybe Towns was the best we could get? Is towns the perfect player? NO but we weren't getting a perfect player. And if we just let Randle walk we still wouldnt have Cap Space to sign a replacement. I am good with it especially because it fills a long term hole for our squad. Donte hurts but I truly believe the reports he wasn't happy. I think he came here for a bigger role and to long term be the starting 2 guard. HE probably loves having his friends on the team but not enough to sacrifice opportunity at this point in his career and I don't blame him for that.
mpharris36 wrote:E-Balla wrote:Our offense was not the issue in the playoffs man. The Sixers cooked our defense, the Pacers cooked our defense, we're responding by crippling that unit.
with less of an offensive load to carry if Mikal gets back to PHX level defense Mikal that will be a huge impact to our defense. Most of these teams now with stretch 5's aren't even impacted by rim protecting bigs.
You match them with 2-way switchable wings...we have a few of those guys now.
Wildcat wrote:mpharris36 wrote:E-Balla wrote:Our offense was not the issue in the playoffs man. The Sixers cooked our defense, the Pacers cooked our defense, we're responding by crippling that unit.
with less of an offensive load to carry if Mikal gets back to PHX level defense Mikal that will be a huge impact to our defense. Most of these teams now with stretch 5's aren't even impacted by rim protecting bigs.
You match them with 2-way switchable wings...we have a few of those guys now.
I don't think it's fair to anchor all that on a wing.
Three more reasons why the Wolves felt as though they had to act now: 1. Coach Chris Finch worked with Randle as an assistant in New Orleans and knows his game very well after collaborating during Randle's lone season with the Pelicans … setting Randle up to sign with the Knicks as a better-than-they-ever-dreamed consolation prize once Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving elected to join the Nets instead; 2. Minnesota, league sources say, was the losing finalist to New York in free agency in 2023 when DiVincenzo chose to sign with the Knicks and never stopped wanting the rugged 3-and-D swingman who shot 40.1% from 3-point range last season on one of the league's best bargain contracts (DDV will earn $11.4 million this season); 3. The Wolves need an infusion of playmaking on a roster that features 37-year-old Mike Conley and rookie Rob Dillingham as the primary point guards ... and Randle's ability to make plays could (stress: could) offset the concerns about his inconsistent long-range shooting and what that might mean for Minnesota's spacing. Randle, mind you, arrives with his own array of question marks given that we haven't seen him on the floor since last January because of shoulder surgery and the uncertainty about his future with only next season's $30.1 million player option left on his current contract.
Most league insiders I've spoken to since the deal went public have been more surprised by Minnesota's willingness to abruptly change course so soon after its first sniff of playoff success in 20 years than the Knicks' willingness to swing so big now. The Knicks, after all, have been linked to a potential pursuit of Towns for years. The case can certainly be made that the Wolves owed it to Towns especially to give last season's core one more shot at a playoff run after Minnesota so impressively ousted the reigning champions from Denver in last spring's second round. The Wolves, though, clearly reasoned that they couldn't pass up this opportunity to turn Towns' crippling contract into two frontline players and put themselves on a path to greater financial flexibility that could allow them to re-sign both Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Word is that the Wolves want to make sure they can re-sign both Reid and Alexander-Walker for Anthony Edwards' supporting cast and moving out Towns' $220-plus million owed over the next four seasons greatly enhances Minnesota's chances … despite the ongoing lack of clarity over who will actually own this team after Glen Taylor vs. Marc Lore/Alex Rodriguez arbitration proceedings begin in November.
The Knicks going all-in for Towns, before newly acquired Mikal Bridges could even play a game alongside his fellow Villanova alumni Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and the suddenly discarded DiVincenzo, is the latest example of the strong influence former Timberwolves executive Gersson Rosas has in New York's front office. In February 2022, you'll recall, we broke the story here of the Knicks' hiring of Rosas as a consultant in the wake of his incredibly messy exit as Minnesota's lead decision-maker ... which also, like this trade, took place right before training camp began. Rosas was elevated to senior vice president of basketball operations before last season and, according to league sources, is Towns' foremost fan in the Knicks' organization. Yes: Even ahead of Towns' former agent Leon Rose. Rosas is said to have been pushing for a Towns trade even before this summer's free agent departure of Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson's subsequent slow recovery from an ankle injury heightened the Knicks' need for immediate help at center.
From a purely basketball point of view, Towns certainly makes lots of sense for the Knicks. He is the most accomplished long-range-shooting big man in today's game and the Knicks think he can be their Kristaps Porziņģis … Boston version. There is no doubt he can ability-wise, but no shortage of curiosity (and, frankly, skepticism) is bubbling A) about Towns' ability to handle the considerable spotlight and pressure that comes with being billed and slotted into the Knicks' lineup as the last piece to make them a real championship threat; B) whether all is really forgotten between he and Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after Thibs was abruptly cast aside in Minnesota to cement Towns as the Wolves' post-Jimmy Butler, pre-Anthony Edwards centerpiece; and C) Towns' own injury history that has forced him to miss at least 20 games (and often more) in four of the past five seasons.
