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Despite the fact that Karl-Anthony Cities’ social-media response to being traded appeared like considered one of shock, the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly by no means assured the four-time All-Star he would not be dealt sooner or later.
Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly “couldn’t give that promise” when Cities beforehand sought assurances he would stay with the membership whereas settling into his new position of supporting Anthony Edwards because the No. 1 possibility.
On Friday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski reported the Timberwolves agreed to ship Cities to the New York Knicks for Donte DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round draft choose through the Detroit Pistons.
Shortly earlier than the commerce was reported, Cities made a cryptic submit on social media with an ellipsis.
There was definitely some shock that Cities was traded proper now, each when it comes to how shut it’s to the beginning of the 2024-25 marketing campaign and due to the success Minnesota had final season.
It is not completely unprecedented for a blockbuster commerce involving a star participant to occur in late September or early October. Damian Lillard was traded from the Portland Path Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal precisely one yr in the past Friday.
For essentially the most half, although, groups have completed all of their pertinent offseason enterprise way back and can a minimum of begin the season to see what their roster can do earlier than considering of breaking it aside.
The Timberwolves had the second-best season in franchise historical past by file (56-26) final season. In addition they made the Western Convention Finals for simply the second time earlier than dropping to the Dallas Mavericks in 5 video games.
Whereas these are causes to be shocked that Cities was dealt, there had been rumblings about him as a possible commerce candidate for a very long time due partly to Minnesota’s luxury-tax issues with an costly roster and unsure possession state of affairs.
In reality, the Knicks had been reportedly monitoring Cities’ state of affairs with the T-Wolves way back to October 2023.
Cities spent the majority of his tenure in Minnesota because the workforce’s greatest participant after being drafted No. 1 general in 2015. He took a step again within the general hierarchy as soon as Edwards was chosen with the highest choose in 2020, however the duo shaped a pleasant partnership over time.
The 28-year-old Cities made the All-Star workforce twice prior to now three seasons. He’s coming off considered one of his most efficient offensive seasons with a 62.5 true taking pictures proportion and a 41.6 p.c success price from three-point vary in 62 begins.
