On Friday night, the Knicks were the true center of the basketball world.
In a surprising move, the team acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from the Timberwolves in a deal that sent Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round draft pick to Minnesota via Detroit.
Naturally, Knicks fans on social media had a lot to say amid this surprising news.
Some were saddened by the breakup of the Villanova Knicks, including DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges.
“I couldn't watch a single minute of the Nova Knicks game,” a fan wrote on X, posting a sad GIF of the show “The Boys.”
“I'm devastated,” he wrote. knicks muse.
“What the Knicks did,” wrote author Shea Serrano.
“The Ringer” podcast host Ryen Rusillo praised the Knicks' decision.
“The talent coming in and the talent going out, it's a win for New York,” he wrote. “I'm not the biggest fan of KAT, but he's embraced the role of taking up space and keeping Brunson open more than the ball-stopping way you would have seen with Randle. KAT is better. He has a healthy track record and fits our needs if we play him in five games.”
However, one NBA fan seemed to think the Knicks were losing out on the deal.
“The Knicks just got the fleece,” they wrote in X.
John Jastrzemski, a New York sports personality for SNY and The Ringer, had mixed feelings about the deal, but felt positive overall.
“Oh my god,” he wrote. I was shocked by this trade…I would highly prefer Towns over Randle. I hate to lose Donte, but why can't I trust this system after all these years?”
It's been a busy offseason for the Knicks, with key players such as Randle, DiVincenzo (Minnesota), and Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City) departing.
But the additions of Bridges from the Nets and Towns from Minnesota injected talent to a team that was one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals last season.
