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After the Knicks and Timberwolves swap All-Star forwards Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns, oddsmakers see both squads boosting their NBA title chances behind the Celtics and the Thunder
The blockbuster deal between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves led oddsmakers to quickly adjust the futures market for the 2024-2025 NBA title.
And the early returns were positive for both teams.
In a swap of All-Star forwards, the Knicks will reportedly land Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle. Minnesota reportedly will also receive guard Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick. According to ESPN, the draft pick will be a 2025 first-rounder, top 13 protected, that previously belonged to the Detroit Pistons.
BetMGM told Field Level Media on Saturday, September 28, that their oddsmakers shortened the Knicks’ title odds from +900 to +700, while the Wolves shifted from +1100 to +1000. The Knicks now have the third-shortest odds behind Boston at +325 and Oklahoma City at +675, although the Celtics’ odds lengthened from +310 once news of the trade broke.
Boston is the +170 favorite to win the Eastern Conference, up slightly from +160. The Celtics are now followed by the Knicks, who moved from +425 to +275, Philadelphia (+475), Milwaukee (+900), Orlando (+1600), and Cleveland (+1700).
In the Western Conference, Minnesota shortened from +500 to +450 and is behind only Oklahoma City (+340).
The trade will require the involvement of a third team to balance the exchange of salaries, per ESPN, with the Charlotte Hornets set to fill that role.
Towns, 28, is heading into the first year of a four-year, $220-million contract extension. Randle, 29, is due to make $28.9 million in the 2024-2025 season, and he has a $30.9-million player option for the following season. DiVincenzo, 27, has three years remaining on his contract for a total of almost $36 million.
The swap continues an offseason that saw the Knicks acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. New York is looking to improve on a season in which it went 50-32 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Minnesota went 56-26 last season, one game off the best record in the Western Conference, then advanced to the conference finals.
Towns was an All-Star for the fourth time last season, when he averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds. In his nine NBA seasons, all with the Timberwolves, he has career averages of 22.9 points and 10.8 boards.
Randle was limited to 46 games last season due to a right shoulder injury. He last played in January, then had the shoulder surgically repaired in April.
The three-time All-Star put up 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in 2023-2024. He has averaged 19.1 points, 9.4 boards, and 3.7 assists in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers (2014-2015 to 2017-2018), New Orleans Pelicans (2018-2019) and Knicks (2019-2020 to 2023-2024).
DiVincenzo produced a career-high 15.5 points per game last season while adding averages of 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. For his career with the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-2019 to 2021-2022), Sacramento Kings (2021-2022), Golden State Warriors (2022-2023), and New York (2023-2024), he has averages of 10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. – Rappler.com
