The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has acquired forward Keita Bates-Diop, guard Donte DiVincenzo, forward Julius Randle and a first round pick (via the Detroit Pistons) from the New York Knicks in exchange for forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns. As part of a three-team deal which includes the Charlotte Hornets, the Timberwolves will send the Hornets a 2025 second round pick.
Randle, 29, has appeared in 641 regular season games (561 starts) in 10 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Knicks, averaging 19.1 points on 47.0% shooting, 9.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. He has tallied 271 career double-doubles, 14 career triple-doubles and has scored 30+ points on 82 occasions and 40+ points 11 times. Last season with the Knicks, the 6-8 forward played in 46 games (all starts) and averaged 24.0 points on 47.2% shooting, 9.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 35.4 minutes per game. Randle joined Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić as the only players last season to average 24.0+ points, 9.0+ rebounds and 5.0+ assists per game.
DiVincenzo, 27, has appeared in 354 regular season games (190 starts) in six NBA seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and Knicks, averaging 10.6 points on 42.8% shooting, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 25.4 minutes per game. The 6-4 guard played in a career-high 81 games (63 starts) last season for the Knicks, averaging a career-best 15.5 points on 44.3% shooting, including a career-high 40.1% from deep, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in a career-high 29.1 minutes per game. His career-best 283 three-pointers made last season ranked third in the NBA and set the record for the most threes made in a single season in Knicks history. He led the NBA last season in catch and shoot three-pointers made (240) and attempted (590) while shooting 41.0% on those shots. On March 25 against the Pistons, DiVincenzo scored a career-high 40 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including a Knicks single-game record and career-best 11-of-20 from three. He became the 19th player in NBA history to connect on 11 or more threes in a single game.
Bates-Diop, 28, has appeared in 283 regular season games (67 starts) in six NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets, averaging 6.0 points on 47.4% shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game. The Bloomington, Ill. native had his best season in 2022-23 with the Spurs when he appeared in 67 games (42 starts) and averaged a career-high 9.7 points on 50.8% shooting, including a career-best 39.4% from deep, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in a career-high 21.7 minutes per game. Bates-Diop was originally drafted by the Timberwolves with the 48th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
A 2021 NBA Champion with the Warriors, DiVincenzo has seen action in 39 career playoff games (18 starts) with the Bucks, Warriors and Knicks while averaging 9.6 points on 40.4% shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24.0 minutes per game. During the Knicks playoff run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, he appeared and started in all 13 playoff games where he averaged a playoff-career-high 17.8 points on 41.9% shooting, including 42.5% from deep, 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 35.8 minutes per game. The Newark, Del. native was originally drafted by the Bucks with the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Dallas native is a two-time All-NBA selection (Second Team in 2020-21 and Third Team in 2022-23), a three-time All-Star (2021, 2023 and 2024) and was named the 2020-21 NBA Most Improved Player. Randle has seen action in 15 career playoff games (all starts) and holds career playoff averages of 17.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 34.0 minutes per game.
Originally drafted with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Timberwolves, Towns appeared in 573 career games (all starts) for Minnesota over nine seasons, averaging 22.9 points on 52.4% shooting, including 39.8% from deep, 10.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 34.0 minutes per game. Amongst the all-time Timberwolves career leaders, Towns ranks first in three-pointers made (975), second in points (13,121), field goals made (7,647), rebounds (6,216) and blocks (721) while ranking fourth in games played (573), assists (1,815) and steals (452). He is one of 10 players in NBA history to average at least 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in each of his first nine seasons in the NBA.
The Edison, N.J. native is a two-time All-NBA selection (Third Team in 2017-18 and 2021-22) and four-time All-Star (2018, 2019, 2022 and 2024). Towns was named the 2015-16 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and the 2023-24 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion.
(info courtesy of Timberwolves)
