As always, it was a massive offseason of change in the NBA last year, with trades and transactions coming thick and fast.
But one move that made more noise than most was a trade between the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who swapped All-Stars after a pair of disappointing playoff exits.
In a three team deal that also included the Charlotte Hornets, both the Knicks and Timberwolves made big bets on their big talent, and in doing so they may have shaped the 2025 NBA title race.
How New York-Minnesota off-season trade is shaping NBA title race
At the beginning of last October, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves shocked the NBA, swapping Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns, in a three team deal that also landed the Timberwolves Donte DiVincenzo.
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Seven months later, and Towns has paired up with All Star Jalen Brunson and is on the cusp of the Eastern Conference Finals, while Randle and Anthony Edwards are a win away from eliminating the Golden State Warriors.
So just how has this trade wound up being so beneficial for both parties?
KAT provides Brunson a pressure release
The New York Knicks first option is of course Jalen Brunson, the All-Star guard and reigning Clutch Player of the Year averaging 26 points and 7.3 assists per game this season.
But while Randle was a formidable scoring threat, Towns takes this to another level, able to completely shoulder the offensive load when needed for Thibodeau's squad.
The self-proclaimed 'best shooting big-man ever' averaged 24.4 points per game in his first season in the Big Apple, shooting 52.6% from the field and 42% from three - and he has had a series of massive games for New York so far this post-season, including 31 points against the Pistons in Game 3, and back-to-back 21 points in Game 2 and 3 against Boston.
Karl-Anthony Towns now has the most playoff games in Knicks franchise history with:
— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 13, 2025
20+ PTS
10+ REB
70%+ FG pic.twitter.com/U7RUkVaqU4
Towns' rebounding has also been huge for New York, averaging 14 boards a night through the first four games against the Celtics - and his defence has quietly held up in an impressive way thus far in the playoffs.
If Brunson is the Bing, then Towns is the Bong, and together they have the Knicks on the doorstep of their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000.
Randle reimagined under Finch's system
It was a rough start for Randle this season (and the Minnesota Timberwolves as a whole), but he has arrived in a massive way during the post-season.
Randle's scoring output has been crucial for the Timberwolves, who defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in dominant fashion in round one, but his all-round game has been incredibly impressive.
Julius Randle in the 2025 postseason:
— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025
🐺 22.4 points per game
🐺 6.4 assists per game
🐺 triple-double in G3 last Saturday
The @Timberwolves have a record of 23-6 since Randle returned from injury in March 💪 pic.twitter.com/y3KR7ssq40
This was punctuated with an emphatic performance during Game 3, finishing with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as he joined Kevin Garnett as the only two Timberwolves to ever record a playoff triple-double.
Alongside Rudy Gobert, coach Chris Finch has been able to deploy Randle in the frontcourt as part of a dual-bigs lineup that has wreaked havoc on both the Lakers and now the Warriors, even while somewhat struggling with his outside shot.
Up to this point in his career, Randle has carried question marks around his effectiveness in a playoff setting, but the Timberwolves have quickly shown the league just how lethal he can be.