Knicks pursued Karl-Anthony Towns in draft night trade involving Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson

Shams Charania revealed the Knicks had been negotiating a Karl-Anthony Towns trade for months, first offering Mitchell Robinson in July.

Knicks pursued Karl-Anthony Towns in draft night trade involving Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson

Shams Charania reveals Knicks’ pursuit of Karl-Anthony Towns and initial offers of Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson

The NBA community is still adjusting to the recent trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. However, new inside information has surfaced that suggested this move had been in the works for quite some time. 

This inside information was shared by Shams Charania of The Athletic, on the Pat McAfee Show. He claimed that the Knicks were negotiating the Karl-Anthony Towns trade for months, as they initially attempted to include Mitchell Robinson in their offers as early as July. 

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This is something Knicks were quietly working on for months… On draft night they offered Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson that was a hard no. Then they finally put Donte DiVincenzo in and that was still a no but at least there was a window open for them and then they put the first-round pick on Friday to get this massive deal done.

Shams Charania said

Last season was a good year for the Knicks as they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they eventually lost to the Indiana Pacers in five games. The organization then recognized the need to bolster their roster after they achieved a commendable 50-32 record.

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Not content with second place, they understood the necessity of acquiring additional firepower and their first attempt to entice Towns failed on Draft night. Their initial offer of the injury-prone Robinson couldn’t do the trick, but when the new offer included Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, they got the green light. 

How Jalen Brunson and others reacted to Karl-Anthony Towns-Julius Randle Trade

Although the blockbuster trade is not yet finalized due to complications related to the luxury tax and new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) restrictions. And while the trade is expected to be confirmed soon, it meant players involved were absent and discussions about the trade were prohibited.

That didn’t stop the outpouring of support from Jalen Brunson for Randle and DiVincenzo. Also, reporters threw the question to Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau and, as expected, he deflected questions about the trade. 

Thankful that Julius welcomed me with open arms here. The memories we made together was really fun. Donte was a groomsman in my wedding. That should tell you everything you need to know. Love him to death.

Jalen Brunson said on media day

Earlier, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had expressed that the departure of Towns was difficult for him emotionally.

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But for the departed DiVincenzo, it was revealed that he wasn’t as enthusiastic, as fans would have expected, about the Villanova reunion.