Knicks commerce for Karl-Anthony Cities, ship Randle, DiVincenzo, first-round decide to Minnesota

By Shams Charania, Jon Krawczynski, Fred Katz and Mark Puleo

The New York Knicks have acquired four-time All-Star massive man Karl-Anthony Cities from the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks introduced Wednesday.

New York despatched Minnesota ahead Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo, ahead Keita Bates-Diopand a future first-round decide by way of the Detroit Pistons. The Charlotte Hornets are the third workforce within the commerce, receiving three second-round picks (two by way of the Knicks, one by way of Minnesota) together with DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown and Duane Washington Jr. to finish the deal. The Knicks may even purchase the draft rights to James Nnaji from the Hornets, the Knicks introduced.

“We’re past excited to welcome Karl-Anthony Cities to the New York Knicks household,” Knicks president Leon Rose stated in a press release. “Karl-Anthony brings a skillset that’s distinctive to the sport of basketball. He possesses a mix of playmaking, taking pictures, rebounding and defending that together along with his dimension permits him to compete at a degree that’s uncommon on this league.

“Karl-Anthony has demonstrated all through his profession to be a excessive caliber participant and individual on and off the court docket who will complement the kind of workforce and tradition we proceed to construct in New York.”

Cities, 28, has spent his whole nine-year profession with the Timberwolves since being drafted No. 1 within the 2015 NBA Draft. He averaged 21.8 factors and eight.3 rebounds per sport in 2023-24, returning to All-Star kind after lacking a lot of the 2022-23 season with a knee harm.

Cities was “surprised” by the commerce, in keeping with a league supply. He was understanding on the Timberwolves’ observe facility final week in preparation for one of the crucial anticipated seasons in Timberwolves historical past. The Wolves had been coming off an look within the Western Convention finals, and Cities believed he was a serious a part of the franchise’s plans to go one step additional this season.

He thanked the Timberwolves group and followers in a submit on social media Wednesday.

“9 years in the past, I arrived in Minnesota as a younger man with a dream. Little did I do know that this place would grow to be my house, and its individuals would grow to be my household,” Cities wrote in a submit on X. “Your love, help, and unwavering loyalty have fueled my journey and impressed me to be one of the best participant I could possibly be.”

To the Timberwolves Household:�

9 years in the past, I arrived in Minnesota as a younger man with a dream. Little did I do know that this place would grow to be my house, and its individuals would grow to be my household. Your love, help, and unwavering loyalty have fueled my journey and impressed me to be… pic.twitter.com/PP1pGzvGcx

— Karl-Anthony Cities (@KarlTowns) October 2, 2024

In Cities, the Knicks acquired the participant they’ve pursued for years. They contacted the Timberwolves about Cities a few years in the past, final yr and once more after that, in keeping with league sources. Their eyes have wandered since workforce president Leon Rose took over in 2020 after leaving the basketball division at CAA, the company that represents Cities. Now, Rose lastly has his man.

After successful 50 video games final season, their most in a decade, the Knicks have made vital strikes to improve a roster constructed round 28-year-old level guard Jalen Brunson. Past Cities, the workforce acquired wing Mikal Bridges in an early-summer commerce with the Brooklyn Nets and re-signed ahead OG Anunoby, whose addition in December proved key to the Knicks’ ascension to the No. 2 seed within the East.

Cities grew up a Knicks fan whereas residing in New Jersey. He performed for present Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau when Thibs coached the Wolves from 2016-18. That relationship was strained throughout Thibodeau’s tenure and after his exit, however Cities stated a number of years in the past that he has moved on and harbored no unwell emotions towards his former — and now present — coach.

The Wolves reshuffle their cap sheet with this commerce. Cities was set to start a four-year, $220 million max extension that can pay him greater than $49 million this season. They primarily turned that into two gamers with Randle making $29 million this season and DiVincenzo incomes $11.5 million.

The Wolves have lengthy coveted the 27-year-old DiVincenzo, going exhausting after him in the course of the 2023 free-agency interval. His taking pictures and protection will match into one of the best defensive workforce within the NBA.

Donte DiVincenzo (left) and Julius Randle can be enjoying collectively for Minnesota this season. (Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE by way of Getty Pictures)

Randle, 29, is coming off a shoulder harm that required surgical procedure in April. The three-time All-Star supplies half-court scoring that might assist a Timberwolves workforce that struggled to generate offense towards the Dallas Mavericks within the convention finals. Randle can grow to be a free agent this summer time by opting out of his $30.3 million possibility for 2025-26.

The draft decide by way of the Pistons is prime 13 protected in 2025, prime 11 in 2026 and prime 9 in 2027. If it doesn’t convey by then, it turns right into a second-round decide.

After the Timberwolves had been eradicated within the convention finals, Cities was requested about his future in Minnesota.

“I don’t know,” he stated. “I’m assured I’ll have the ability to be right here with my brothers and proceed what I like to do right here at house. In order that’s the plan, nothing’s modified on my aspect. I really like this metropolis. I really like this group. I really like this metropolis. It’s given me my life, me and my household.”

GO DEEPER

Katz: What’s subsequent for Knicks after Karl-Anthony Cities commerce?

What does this imply for the Knicks?

Cities brings a few parts the Knicks desperately want, particularly with Mitchell Robinson focusing on a December return on the earliest following offseason ankle surgical procedure. There aren’t many 7-footers in NBA historical past with Cities’ taking pictures contact.

And the Knicks, who in any other case solely have Valuable Achiuwa and Jericho Sims as their two wholesome facilities, now have assistance on the boards, an space Thibodeau needs to manage as a lot as any coach within the league. — Fred Katz, nationwide NBA author

What’s Cities’ legacy in Minnesota?

That is the top of an period in Minnesota. Cities has been a pillar of the Wolves franchise since he was picked No. 1 general within the 2015 draft. He gained NBA Rookie of the 12 months honors, was named to 4 All-Star groups and earned two All-NBA picks. He was a standup member in the neighborhood, organizing a drive that acquired hundreds of winter coats to younger individuals in want and internet hosting deprived children for film screenings and Christmas giveaways. He carried out random acts of kindness, together with shopping for a automobile for a fan who posted a GoFundMe on Twitter when theirs was stolen.

Cities suffered via many losses early in his profession and skilled fixed organizational turnover. He had 5 coaches and 7 normal managers in his first seven years and a bunch of would-be co-stars, together with Andrew Wiggins, Jimmy Butler and D’Angelo Russell. Then, Anthony Edwards arrived and proved to be the type of star who might complement and co-exist with Cities.

In an period of gamers asking out on the drop of a hat, Cities lived via the entire turmoil — notably Butler’s boorish antics — and by no means requested for a commerce. He remained loyal to the Wolves, usually professing his need to spend his complete profession in Minnesota and see his jersey hung within the rafters. — Jon Krawczynski, Timberwolves beat author

How this adjustments Minnesota’s trajectory

The Wolves may have a tough time changing Cities’ taking pictures and, maybe surprisingly, his protection on Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. The workforce seems like it’s higher suited to contend for the lengthy haul with the flexibleness this deal supplies.

Nonetheless, it’s a surprising transfer coming off arguably one of the best season within the franchise’s 36-year historical past. Cities was integral to Minnesota’s run to the Western Convention finals, enjoying very good protection towards Jokić within the second spherical and giving the Wolves a wanted offensive increase of their first-round sweep of Phoenix. He was one of the best shooter on the roster, massive man or in any other case.

This commerce adjustments the main focus of the Wolves’ roster utterly. It’s Edwards’ workforce going ahead, with Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid because the workforce’s core and veterans Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, DiVincenzo, Randle and Nickeil Alexander-Walker there to complement it.

The Wolves made the deal to maximise Edwards’ window for the lengthy haul, workforce sources advised The Athletic. The Wolves needed to ensure Edwards could possibly be on a aggressive playoff workforce for for much longer than simply the subsequent two years and consider the flexibleness this transfer supplies will support that pursuit. Dealing Cities additionally might assist them retain Reid, a wildly fashionable participant in Minnesota who could possibly be a free agent subsequent summer time. — Krawczynski

How do the Knicks make up for the Randle and DiVincenzo losses?

The Knicks don’t make this four-year return to competence with out Randle, who signed with the franchise in the summertime of 2019 and helped renovate its picture over the previous half-decade. He’s slid onto three All-Star and two All-NBA groups since his arrival in New York. He offered a constant 20 factors and 10 boards per sport and made passes nobody else on the workforce might even try due to his dimension and energy. He gave the Knicks a novel factor within the submit.

After all, Cities can do the identical — and does it as a 7-footer with an infinite array of down-low strikes.

DiVincenzo’s departure means the top of the “Nova Knicks” that by no means had been. He simply broke the franchise report for 3-point makes in a season, however Cities, a 40 % long-range shooter, will make up for the spacing the Knicks misplaced by dealing final season’s prime sniper.

The Knicks aren’t as deep now. Earlier than the commerce, DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and Miles McBride had been all anticipated to return off the bench. Now, DiVincenzo is gone, Hart seems to be the favourite to enter the beginning lineup and McBride seems to have an elevated function awaiting him.

In a second, this workforce’s identification simply shifted as soon as once more. — Katz