Why Timberwolves determined now was the appropriate time to commerce Karl-Anthony Cities

When Karl-Anthony Cities put his publish on “X” at 9:08 p.m. Friday, it was clear that one thing was up. It was simply ellipses and nothing extra, a cryptic bat sign of types to seize everybody’s consideration.

Little did most know that these three dots would signify the tip of his run in Minnesota, simply days earlier than he was set to start his tenth coaching camp with the Timberwolves.

…

— Karl-Anthony Cities (@KarlTowns) September 28, 2024

Shortly earlier than the tweet was printed, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly had arrived at Cities’ dwelling within the Minneapolis suburbs to tell the four-time All-Star that he was being traded to the New York Knicks in a whopper of a deal that introduced Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft decide from the Detroit Pistons to Minnesota, workforce and league sources advised The Athletic.

In some methods, the deal wasn’t a shock. The Knicks have coveted Cities ever since Leon Rose, his former CAA agent, was employed to run New York’s entrance workplace in 2020. Everybody knew that the Timberwolves would ultimately must make some main strikes to deal with a bloated cap sheet, and Cities’ title was the yet another usually talked about in commerce rumors during the last 12 months. After the Wolves have been eradicated by Dallas within the convention finals in Could, Cities was requested about his need to return to Minnesota for a tenth season.

“I don’t know. 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 dwelling,” he mentioned then. “In order that’s the plan, nothing’s modified on my facet. 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.”

The timing of the settlement, simply three days earlier than the Timberwolves open maybe their most anticipated coaching camp in franchise historical past, was an absolute thunderbolt that nobody noticed coming. The Cities household was “surprised” a league supply advised The Athletic.

All summer time lengthy, they’ve touted continuity and chemistry after a Western Convention finals look final season. The expertise they gained with solely the second playoff collection win within the workforce’s 35 seasons within the league was speculated to function a jumping-off level for the workforce to return largely intact and take it one step additional.

As an alternative, Connelly pulled off his second audacious commerce in three seasons on the job, following his acquisition of Rudy Gobert in 2022. Cities made his fourth All-Star workforce in 2023-24 and performed a pivotal function in Minnesota’s second-round victory over defending champion Denver along with his protection on Nikola Jokić and well timed taking pictures.

Cities has been the one fixed right here since he was chosen No. 1 general in 2015, surviving the depths of shedding early in his profession, the revolving doorways of management positions (seven basic managers and 5 head coaches in his first eight seasons) and an infinite reshuffling of the roster to lastly be on a workforce that regarded like a constant winner. The Wolves have made the playoffs for 3 consecutive seasons and have been able to mount a cost towards the NBA Finals this season.

Cities arrived within the Twin Cities this week to start preparations for coaching camp and everybody was all smiles. He went to a Minnesota Lynx WNBA playoff recreation on Wednesday, received in some exercises with teammates on the follow facility and the workforce posted movies on social media hyping his upcoming tenth season within the league.

szn 10 🔜 pic.twitter.com/Kw2vmWQmcv

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) September 25, 2024

Not one of the messaging indicated a seismic transfer was imminent. After greater than a 12 months of the Knicks making overtures for Cities that have been summarily dismissed by the Timberwolves as a result of they weren’t adequate, many in Minnesota didn’t anticipate Rose and Gersson Rosas, the previous president of basketball operations in Minnesota, who was fired and landed with the Knicks, to get critical about their pursuit.

That’s precisely what occurred Friday because the Knicks added DiVincenzo to the bundle with Randle and the Pistons decide, which is top-13 protected subsequent 12 months, top-11 protected in 2026 and top-nine protected in 2027. When the Wolves regarded on the deal in mixture, they noticed it as a chance so as to add some flexibility and construct round burgeoning star Anthony Edwards for not simply this season however the foreseeable future.

The Wolves made a tough run at DiVincenzo in free company final season, believing his mixture of taking pictures and wing protection could be an ideal match on their roster. Including him to a workforce stuffed with nice defenders, together with Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker figures to solely strengthen their top-rated protection.

In the event that they have been going to relent to New York’s needs by lastly giving them Cities, DiVincenzo needed to be a part of the bundle, workforce sources mentioned. They see him becoming in proper alongside Edwards within the backcourt and his 3-point taking pictures will likely be essential for a workforce that simply gave up its greatest outdoors shooter. DiVincenzo can play level guard when Mike Conley wants a breather and may come off the bench to supply firepower and rugged protection as nicely.

Edwards willingly and fortunately shared the highlight in his first 4 seasons with Cities, a stark distinction to the unstable year-plus that Jimmy Butler spent in Minnesota berating KAT to no finish. However this commerce drove dwelling the purpose that was changing into increasingly clear final season: the Timberwolves are Edwards’ workforce.

He can have trusty veterans like Gobert, Conley and Joe Ingles there to assist information him, but in addition a bevy of younger expertise to develop with him: 24-year-old McDaniels, 25-year-old Naz Reid, 26-year-old Alexander-Walker and 19-year-old Rob Dillingham, with Leonard Miller (20), Josh Minott (21) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (24) marinating on the bench. Ought to a few them pan out, Edwards can have a dynamic roster for seasons to return.

Because the Timberwolves analyzed their cap state of affairs and regarded on the panorama throughout the league, it was getting more durable and more durable for the Wolves to see a situation the place they might hold this workforce intact past this season, workforce sources mentioned. Edwards is starting a five-year max contract this season, Gobert has two years remaining on his max and Cities was beginning a four-year, $220 million max extension this season. Add to it large raises for McDaniels this season and Reid final season, and the Wolves had entered the dreaded second apron that brings with it luxurious tax penalties and obstacles for team-building meant to strongly discourage groups from crossing that threshold for greater than a few seasons.

One of many solely paths ahead for maintaining everybody collectively, workforce sources mentioned, was to win the championship and money in on the large playoff income that comes with it. The Wolves will enter the season hoping to make it that far, however enjoying in a deep Western Convention makes it a treacherous path.

Cities will flip 29 in November and has missed no less than 22 video games in 4 of his final 5 seasons. He’s set to make $49 million this season and has a $61 million participant choice in 2027-28. That wage made the marketplace for him fairly tepid, workforce sources mentioned. If KAT have been to get injured once more or the Timberwolves took a step again competitively, it may need been tough to maneuver him.

Maintaining him on the roster probably would have meant saying goodbye to Reid, who received NBA Sixth Man of the Yr final season and is wildly in style in Minnesota, and certain Alexander-Walker as nicely, workforce sources mentioned.

Randle ($29 million) and DiVincenzo ($11.5 million) make much less mixed than Cities does this season. DiVincenzo scored 15.5 factors per recreation and shot 40 p.c from 3 for the Knicks final season and has a discount contract that can pay him $11.9 million in 2025-26 and $12.5 million in 2026-27. Randle can develop into a free agent after this season, making him eligible for a contract extension.

The 2-for-one opens up extra choices for tweaking the roster going ahead. Randle and DiVincenzo have rather more tradeable contracts, and the shorter phrases might give the Wolves a whole lot of leeway three years down the highway. With Edwards rising close to the highest of the league, the Wolves like that a part of the deal whereas additionally believing they’ll stay contenders for the season forward.

They consider they now have among the best eight-man rotations within the West. If Dillingham develops rapidly, it will get extra intriguing.

There’s some particular danger in making the transfer. Cities is the most effective participant within the commerce, although some on the Wolves consider Randle is underrated at this level after lacking 36 video games final season and having some struggles within the playoffs. The Wolves don’t beat the Nuggets within the second spherical of the playoffs with out Cities, who defended MVP Jokić in addition to any participant on the workforce. He additionally was a formidable scoring risk of their first-round win over Phoenix however struggled from behind the arc within the convention finals in opposition to Dallas.

Cities was the most effective shooter on the workforce and helped area the ground for Edwards in lineups the place Cities and Gobert shared the ground. DiVincenzo, Conley, Edwards and Reid will all have to extend their quantity to assist make up for Cities’ departure.

Cities additionally was a pillar within the Twin Cities group, by no means stepping into bother with the regulation and by no means requesting a commerce, even in essentially the most tumultuous occasions for the group. He spearheaded a drive that received hundreds of winter coats to younger individuals in want and hosted deprived children for film screenings and Christmas giveaways. He carried out random acts of kindness, together with shopping for a automotive for a fan who posted a GoFundMe on Twitter when theirs was stolen. And in an period when gamers ask for trades on the drop of a hat, Cities by no means as soon as wished to be dealt away.

Additionally, final season’s workforce had an simple chemistry because it marched to the convention finals. All of them received alongside, laughing and smiling by the lengthy NBA season.

Making this transfer now’s a giant vote of confidence that Reid is able to dealing with a bigger minutes load and function on offense. How the Wolves break up time between Reid and Randle, who’s coming off of a shoulder harm however did common 24.0 factors, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 46 video games final season, will likely be an attention-grabbing puzzle for coach Chris Finch to resolve. Finch was an assistant in New Orleans throughout Randle’s lone season there and is claimed to be a fan of his recreation.

Randle has loads of advocates in Minnesota. The Wolves consider his bully-ball method on offense can work with what they’ve round him. He’s a strong passer as nicely and performs a bodily type that appeals to Finch. The brand new mixture of depth coupled with anticipated leaps from Edwards, McDaniels and Reid will likely be relied upon to assist the Wolves enhance their Seventeenth-ranked offense.

Reid performed extremely nicely with Gobert final season, however will Finch begin him at energy ahead or the three-time All-Star Randle, who excelled alongside non-shooting bigs Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein in New York final season?

Finch and the teaching employees will work by that in coaching camp, which begins Tuesday.

The deal will probably take a while to finish, in line with workforce and league sources, as a result of the brand new collective bargaining settlement calls for that the Knicks leap by a collection of hoops to verify it complies with the byzantine bylaws. Keita Bates-Diop will likely be going to Minnesota as a part of the deal and the Knicks must execute a number of sign-and-trades, together with sending Duane Washington and DaQuan Jeffries to Charlotte, to make the cash work. Different names may very well be concerned because the deal develops.

As stunning because the deal was in actual time, there had lengthy been a sense that one thing needed to give ultimately in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves discovered a path ahead out of the wage cap hell that was respiration down their necks and emerged with the idea that they’re higher outfitted to encompass Edwards with expertise for the subsequent 10 years than they have been with Cities’s contract on their books.

Now the largest query left to reply is that if they’re nonetheless a contender within the West this season. They consider that Randle’s bucket-getting and toughness and DiVincenzo’s taking pictures and protection give them an actual likelihood. Coaching camp is correct across the nook, so it received’t take lengthy for the solutions to emerge.

(Picture of Karl-Anthony Cities: Garrett Ellwood / NBAE by way of Getty Photographs)