Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 trades with the New York Knicks

Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 trades with the New York Knicks

2. Knicks secure future cap space

This trade would be a cap grab for the Knicks. Assuming he opts into his player option for the upcoming season, James Johnson has an expiring contract worth just over $16 million next season, all of which would become free cap space for free agency in 2021.

The Knicks may decide that this year’s free agent class is not worth investing in, and may want to work towards acquiring cap space to sign free agents next year in a more deep free agent class. In the meantime, the Knicks would enjoy the services of Johnson, who shares many characteristics with one of Thibodeau’s favorite players, Taj Gibson.

Johnson is strong defender, leader, and reasonably reliable facilitator on the offensive end. The Knick’s could use Johnson for a year to help mentor some of their younger players in order to create a strong supporting cast around whatever free agents the Knicks may wish to target in next year’s free agency. The feasibility of this trade would ultimately come down to Thibodeau’s impression of Randle, and whether or not he sees Randle as a part of the Knicks’ future.

For the Timberwolves, this trade would ultimately come down to A) if they want to utilize a true power forward, and B) if Julius Randle is the true power forward of their choice.

The Wolves haven’t really a traditional power forward since the end of the Thibs era aside from James Johnson, mainly utilizing Robert Covington and Juancho Hernangomez at power forward next to Karl-Anthony Towns. Randle would undoubtedly help the Wolves defensively and with rebounding, which have been the team’s two biggest weaknesses.

Randle has never been in an ideal situation in his career, playing for a rebuilding Lakers organization, a Pelicans organization whose main focus was Anthony Davis, and a crowded frontcourt in New York with Marcus Morris and Taj Gibson. If the Timberwolves invest in Randle, he be in his best situation yet, being the main power forward with a top-tier point guard in D’Angelo Russell and an elite center alongside him in Karl-Anthony Towns.

Ultimately, the likelihood and validity of this trade comes down to what both teams really want going forward – do the Knicks want to invest in cap space, or would they rather invest in young talent

Do the Timberwolves want a true power forward to play alongside Towns, or would they rather play with three wings? This trade provides a viable option for the Knicks if they want future cap space, and for the Timberwolves if they want a true power forward for the future.