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The Knicks shocked the NBA world for the second time this offseason last Friday night, trading Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. New York secured a star player at an especially-weak position, in hopes that the deal would propel them into contention, but had to sacrifice some major pieces in the process.
While some consider Towns and Randle to be close to a wash in talent, in large part flipped for contractual reasons, New York’s inclusion of DiVincenzo appeared to seal the deal. His departure means the loss of a full-time starter, one of the best shooters in the league with a 40.1 three-point percentage on 8.7 attempts a night, and their second-leading scorer in the 2024 playoffs at 17.8 points per game.
There are multiple reasons behind the Knicks’ willingness to move that much talent and an entire additional rotation member despite already facing depth issues. They likely believe that the flexibility and shooting provided by Towns outweighs what they gave up, and DiVincenzo was on his way to a minutes cut after a career year, which isn’t the best for morale.
But perhaps one overlooked reason for New York’s comfort in losing DiVincenzo in pursuit of this trade is its confidence in the player stepping up in his absence: Miles McBride.
After two uninspiring seasons bouncing between Westchester and the end of the Knicks bench, McBride was thrust into regular minutes following the OG Anunoby trade last December. New York immediately inked him to an extension, and he proceeded to put together the best stretch of his pro career, finally converting from three and looking for his offense with the same aggressiveness he brought to defense.
After the trade, McBride averaged 10.6 points on 41 percent shooting from three, averaging 24.9 minutes a night over 50 games. He was instrumental in filling in for rotation players dealt or injured, thanks to his ability to spread the floor and lock up opposing guards.
Tom Thibodeau’s trust in McBride grew to a point where he was inserted into the starting lineup late in the regular season after yet another blow to the rotation….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/knicks-karl-anthony-towns-trade-141500051.html
Author : SNY
Publish date : 2024-10-01 14:15:00
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