Considering what they gave up to recover Karl-Anthony Towns, there is no doubt that the initiative came from the Knicks. With Mitchell Robinson possibly absent until 2025 and Julius Randle in the recovery phase, management was looking for a top-tier pivot. The Knicks had been eyeing Towns for years, and they had to part with Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round draft pick to get him back.
But SNY revealed that the Knicks had made numerous calls. They called the Pistons, and if they were looking for a center, probably they were targeting Jalen Duren, but the young interior is untouchable in Detroit. They also called the Hawks, and we imagine it was to inquire about Clint Capela. Given the current value of the Swiss, we can think that the Knicks wanted an additional player.
Thibodeau and Towns reconciled
Finally, the Knicks had contacted the Heat, and it was obviously the most interesting track since it clearly leads to Bam Adebayo. This shows that New York was very ambitious. SNY specifies that there were not even discussions, and that quickly, the choice was made to call the Wolves to find out Towns' availability. One man played a major role: Tom Thibodeau. He was OK to coach the All-Star center again after their relationship had been frosty at the Wolves.
