The Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks continue to be linked together. This is despite the fact that they play in opposite conferences. Of course, this first occurred nearly a year and a half ago when the two teams got together to make a blockbuster deal involving Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle.Â
Fred Katz was with Dave DuFour on the most recent episode of The Athletic NBA Daily Podcast. They spoke about potential playoff matchups and problems that some of the teams could have. Katz said this about the Timberwolves:
"This is how I feel about the Timberwolves, and it’s also how I feel about the Knicks…because they’re the same. They traded All-Star power forward/big men for each other, and then they just cursed each other into being the same exact team forever, where they will beat anybody. They’ll also play too close with anybody they shouldn’t."
With the playoffs around the corner, both teams have stark differences in their postseason floors and ceilings.
Similar teams since their blockbuster trade
The 2024 trade between the Timberwolves and Knicks happened late in the offseason and was a shocker. Towns was leaving the only team he called home. Randle was leaving a team to which he was named to three All-Star teams with. Donte DiVincenzo also joined the Wolves in the deal, after it looked like he would play with three of his Villanova brethren in New York.
It seems like picking a winner in the Randle/Towns trade can change weekly. The first season after the deal saw both teams reach and lose in the conference finals. Both teams are firmly entrenched in the playoff picture this season, but they have both had many confusing performances along the way.
Katz also stated on the podcast that, regardless of playoff opponent, he would bet on a Timberwolves or Knicks series to go six or seven games every time. It’s the volatility of both teams from game to game, where it’s just nearly impossible to see either having a short series.
Minnesota has two wins apiece against the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics. They have also lost to the Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, and Sacramento Kings. There have also been a few instances where they just weren’t at all competitive in a game.
So, buckle up (same goes for Knicks fans). Sure, there’s a chance your team will do major damage in the playoffs, but the likelihood is that nothing will come easy.