In June, Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. remarked, “It’s just hard to do deals” ahead of the NBA Draft. But perhaps the quote should have ended with “for some,” because making trades certainly hasn’t been a problem for the New York Knicks.
On Friday, the Knicks reportedly sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns. This blockbuster trade marks the third huge move the Knicks have pulled off in the past nine months. They acquired OG Anunoby in the middle of last season and then sent a boatload of future first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges in July.
With Anunoby, Bridges, and now Towns, the Knicks have completely transformed their roster—many would argue for the better. New York is now seen as the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics in the race for the Eastern Conference title this season.
Each time the Knicks or another team pulls off a major move, Warriors fans’ frustration grows as they watch their team stay stagnant. Golden State has been linked to big-name All-Star players, yet when it comes time to seal the deal, the Warriors seem unwilling to take the necessary risks.
Earlier this week, Dunleavy emphasized the “fine line between impatience and undisciplined.” While that might be true, Warriors fans are growing increasingly weary of their team’s reluctance to walk that line and finalize a meaningful trade.
The Warriors have made just two trades for All-Stars in the past five years—a 1x All-Star in D’Angelo Russell, who lasted only 33 games with the team, and a 38-year-old Chris Paul, who was waived after a single season in the Bay. Neither player was ever going to become an All-Star for the Warriors.
For Towns, the financial aspect would’ve been challenging, as he’s set to make $49.2 million this season. With offseason additions like De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield not being trade eligible, the Warriors’ options were limited.
However, it seemed just as challenging for the Knicks, yet they managed to involve the Charlotte Hornets as a third team to complete the trade. Could Golden State have done something similar when they were reportedly pursuing Paul George before free agency?
Friday’s surprising trade serves as another reminder that the Warriors’ notion that deals are “hard to do” doesn’t seem to apply to other teams. The question now is whether Golden State can change this narrative and make a move before they squander the remaining prime years of Stephen Curry.