SHAMS BOMB: The Knicks Are Trading Julius Randle And Donte DiVincenzo To The Timberwolves For Karl-Anthony Towns
Here I was trying to quietly "enjoy" another late September gutting by the Mets only for Shams to drop his first bomb as the only big dog in the NBA breaking news wars right on my face and the face of every Knicks fan. When the Nova Knicks were fully assembled after the Mikal trade it seemed like New York was trying to win a championship by friendship, which isn't the craziest thing in the world since love conquers all. Three months later Leon Rose said "Fuck them friends" by sending DiVo to Minnesota, which hurts like a bitch as a fan so I can't imagine how the Nova boys feel about it before being able to play their first professional game together. I don't imagine there is a happy Facetime going on right now between Jalen, Josh, Mikal, and Donte.
As for Julius Randle, he honestly took me for the wildest ride I have ever gone on as a Knicks fan. He arrived in New York as the consolation prize when the Nets "swept" the Durant and Kyrie free agency sweepstakes, was one of the most frustrating players ever that could put up 20 + 10 in his sleep but also cost you the game with an array of spin moves and bad passes. Then he became an All NBA player that embraced New York for a beloved Knicks team as the city tried to climb out of COVID-19 Hell, followed by another super frustrating season where he fought the fans, followed by ANOTHER All NBA season, followed by him starting to change his game while figuring out how to be the number 2 option on a team that was run by Jalen Brunson before he injured his shoulder against the Heat.
Playoff Randle was a legitimate nightmare, but Randle during that magical run in January after acquiring OG was a dream. I was truly stoked to see how everything fit together once the games started and now it's just gone less than a month before the season begins. The only reason I thought Randle could get dealt is that Leon has shown that if you don't sign with the Knicks on his terms, you will probably not be on the team much longer. That's what happened with IQ and seemed like it could possibly happen with Randle once he didn't agree to his extension once it could be signed. I thought the Knicks would give this new nucleus time to come together but I also thought the Mets would handle business in Milwaukee tonight.
Well said, boss.
As for Karl-Anthony Towns, I'm like most Knicks fans in that I am petrified that his soft reputation will be like blood in the water for Knicks fans that are dying for a championship. Being a local guy probably won't help outside of knowing how the lunatics act around here, nor will his own playoff shortcomings or this price tag in the current era of the NBA where everything is about aprons and whatnot.
He is also a 7 foot weapon that can shoot, which opens up all types of spacing on the floor and doesn't make the entire season hinge on Mitchell Robinson's broken body (I'm convinced if Mitch stayed healthy last year, Hartenstein would've been back for cheap since he wouldn't have nearly as big a chance to shine but whatever). KAT also has experience with Thibs, which is a good thing, even though it ended poorly, which is a bad thing. Still, a starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG, and Towns is flat out sexy. People will question Towns' defense, but between OG being a Swiss Army knife and Mitch coming off the bench, something tells me Thibs will figure everything out just fine.
This was a trade I knew the Knicks could make but not one I wanted them to. The last time I felt like this was when the Knicks traded IQ and Barrett away from OG, which turned out pretty well for us in the end. So instead of mourning that the Nova Knicks broke up, reminiscing about the good Julius Randle moments (NEW YORK WE HERE!), or picking at all of KAT's warts as a player, I'm just gonna say In Leon We Trust and watch the end of this God forsaken Mets game.