Julius Randle's performance and contract make Wolves the winner in Karl-Anthony Towns trade
Towns said he remains "stunned" he was dealt by the Timberwolves, but he shouldn't be. Randle and Donte DiVincenzo are key contributors for the Wolves and make less combined than Towns.
The New York Knicks had cruised to a 23-point victory over the Timberwolves on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, but Karl-Anthony Towns’ mind wasn’t on his 15-point, 10-rebound performance. Instead, Towns remained focused on the trade that sent him from the Wolves to the Knicks just before last season.
“I’m still stunned,” Towns told reporters. “ … I love those guys. I love that locker room to death. I’m willing to do anything for them, even if it wasn’t about basketball.”
Towns’ allegiance to the Wolves is admirable, but 13 months after Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly stunned the NBA world by shipping Towns to New York for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo this much is clear: There is zero regret from anyone on Minnesota’s side.
In fact, if the Knicks called the Wolves tomorrow and offered them Towns straight up for Randle, Connelly would be justified if he hung up.
Randle has been fantastic to open what has been an up-and-down early season for the Wolves. A year ago, Randle struggled early as he worked to adjust after being traded. This season, Randle has looked right at home in a Wolves uniform.
The last example came on Friday night at Target Center as the Wolves crushed the Utah Jazz, 137-97, in an NBA Cup game. Randle finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. He was a rebound away from getting the triple-double in the first half. Randle completed it in the third quarter, making it the quickest triple-double in team history, or since tracking began in 1997-98.
It was Randle’s 16th career triple-double and his second this week. Randle had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 125-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. That was his first triple-double in the regular season with the Wolves, and his third overall. He also recorded one in Game 3 of the Wolves’ second-round playoff victory over Golden State last season.
Randle, who was considered likely to exercise his player option and leave after last season, began to change opinions in Minnesota after he returned from a 13-game injury-related absence last March. Randle began to fit into the offense and keeping him became a priority. Especially with the Wolves advancing to the Western Conference finals for a second consecutive season.