The Knicks and the Timberwolves are set to play each other on Thursday night for the first time since making a blockbuster deal that sent long-time Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. Former Knick Julius Randle was a part of that deal after spending five seasons with New York — it was the best stretch of his career, as he averaged 22.6 points per game and made three All-Star teams.
Despite Randle’s impressive stint in New York, he told reporters that he sees Thursday’s matchup as just “another game,” according to Peter Botte of the New York Post, and didn’t offer many further remarks when asked about facing his old team.
“Whenever you get traded, no matter what it is, it’s always tough, it’s always emotional,” former teammate Josh Hart said. “You always have that sense of not being wanted. That’s on both sides. I think [Donte DiVincenzo] and [Randle] probably felt that way. And KAT probably felt that way, and every time a trade happens, you feel, even if you’re the big piece of the trade and another team wants you, you still feel a little chip on your shoulder and you still feel unwanted.”
The Knicks know the challenge they’re facing off against with Randle, who is averaging 20.1 points this season.
“Jules is a great player. He can do it all,” OG Anunoby said, per Botte. “Pass, shoot, drive. Great player.”
We have more from the Knicks:
- DiVincenzo still keeps in touch with his former Knicks teammates and knows what they’re going through, Botte writes in another story. DiVincenzo is averaging 8.3 PPG while shooting 31.9% from deep and was open about the difficulties of adjusting to a new team. “It’s not normal to make a trade the day before media day. Both sides, it takes time to adjust,” DiVincenzo said. “Great things take time. On our side, I believe that, but also on their side. I think KAT’s playing really well, but it’s going to take time to mesh, for other guys to adjust to what he does.”
- Adding another layer to an already interesting relationship between the two teams, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports (subscriber link) that Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch almost took a job under Tom Thibodeau in 2020 before winding up with Nick Nurse in Toronto. “Thibs had his staff already full. And so he just wanted me to come in as a consultant/backroom guy,” Finch said. “But I wanted more to coach. I wanted to be out there.”
- The Knicks have gotten everything they hoped for from Towns when they traded for him, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. Towns is averaging a career and league-high 13.9 rebounds per game while also contributing 24.8 points per contest, his most since the 2020/21 season. His shooting line is a scorching .526/.439/.845.
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