When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo (and a first-round pick), the move was met with considerable controversy. Arguably, the biggest critique of this trade was the loss of 3-point shooting.
After the Wolves made a conference finals run and re-signed Naz Reid with the extra financial flexibility from the trade, these critiques (mostly) went away. However, looking back, the 3-point argument was silly and doesn't hold up at all.
The Wolves' last season with Towns, they hit 12.6 3s per game (15th). Yet, in the following two seasons, they have hit 15 3s (fifth) and 14.6 3s (seventh) this season. While some of this is because of Anthony Edwards' growth as a 3-point shooter, Randle and DiVincenzo are also filling the void of KAT's shooting nicely.
The Timberwolves are having no problem making up for Towns' shooting
Listen, Towns is a fantastic shooter, one of the best 3-point shooting big men of all time. Nevertheless, I always thought the idea that they couldn't replace his shooting was overblown. Now this idea looks flat-out ridiculous.
Towns made 2.0 3-pointers per game last year and 1.9 3s this year. Conversely, Randle made 1.6 3s last season and 1.8 3s this season. Is Towns a better and more efficient shooter than Randle? Yes absolutely. Regardless, as you can see, Randle is nearly making up this 3-point volume by himself. Randle also provides value as a shot creator, which Towns never could do.
DiVincenzo is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. He made 2.8 3s per game last season and 3.2 3s this season. DiVincenzo has not only helped the Wolves make up for Towns' shooting, but he has also helped the Wolves reach another level. It's also worth noting that DiVincenzo's 8.2 3-point attempts this season exceeds any number from Towns' career.
To me, the DiVincenzo aspect of the trade, specifically regarding the Wolves' 3-point shooter, always went overlooked. Yes, Towns is a better 3-point shooter by far; too many people seemingly forgot that, but DiVincenzo is one of the league's best shooters. DiVincenzo has bounced back this year and is looking like the version we saw with the Knicks, and his impact has been a massive part of the Wolves' success.
As mentioned earlier, Edwards has transformed into an elite 3-point shooter. In the last year with Towns, Edwards made 2.4 3s on 6.7 attempts; last season, though, this skyrocketed to 4.1 3s on 10.3 attempts. He notably led the league in made and attempted 3-pointers. Edwards has continued his 3-point excellence this season, making 3.6 of his 8.5 attempts.
Ultimately, the Wolves' perceived biggest weakness in the post-KAT era now looks like their biggest strength, and Minnesota should have no regrets with this trade.