How Karl-Anthony Towns To Knicks Shakes Up NBA Championship Odds

In a shocking turn of events and seemingly out of nowhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks made major headlines late Friday night with a blockbuster three-team trade that will reportedly send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Following the breaking news, here's a look at how oddsmakers have shifted the NBA championship betting odds with new faces in new places.

Trade Details

New York Knicks Receive:

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive:

Charlotte Hornets Receive:

2025 NBA Championship Odds Update

Odds as of September 28, 2024

While not a cataclysmic change, oddsmakers are giving both the Knicks and Timberwolves slightly better odds in the race for the Larry O'Brien trophy, indicative of the move being a win-win for both sides. 

At this time, only the defending champion Boston Celtics (+320) and Oklahoma City Thunder (+700) have stronger odds than New York to capture the 2025 title. 

Who (really) Won The Trade: New York Knicks Or Minnesota Timberwolves?

It's not everyday a pair of All-Stars are sent packing in exchange for one another, especially from two teams coming off of deep postseason runs with high aspirations heading into the 2024-25 regular season with the start of training camp just around the corner. 

The new-look Knicks had strong Villanova vibes following a trade with the Brooklyn Nets in July to acquire Mikal Bridges and pair him with former Wildcats alumnus Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo. That's why it's so surprising to see the Knicks move on from DiVincenzo and break up that core before it even had a chance to see the floor together. The 27-year-old guard just established a franchise record of 283 3-pointers made, and ranked second on the team in postseason scoring across 13 games at 17.8 points. 

Then again, the roster had a glaring weakness at center with the departure of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency to the Thunder and injuries to Mitchell Robinson. Towns should fit like a glove in a starting unit next to Brunson, Hart, Bridges, and O.G. Anunoby, even though he's a step down defensively from the aforementioned bigs. What helps is knowing that elite stoppers in Bridges and Anunoby serve as a last line of defense before getting to the basket, which will hopefully cover up some of Towns' flaws on that end.

Pulling the trigger on such a major shakeup is a giant bat signal over Gotham letting the basketball world know that the Knicks are gunning for that allusive title and are going all-in to make that a reality. Now Towns did have a rough playoff stretch in which he was getting benched at the end of games in favor of Sixth Man of the Year award winner Naz Reid, but that doesn't overshadow the fact that Towns is an all-world offensive talent, a stretch five with credible efficiency, and a valuable asset now locked in through for the foreseeable future after inking a $224-million supermax extension. 

The emergence of Reid in Minnesota made Towns somewhat expendable, but not entirely. Randle will now replace Towns and stand alongside Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and keep Reid leading the second unit, but this trade feels like it was more about providing financial flexibility to the organization rather than building off of just the second Western Conference finals appearance in franchise history. 

Randle has a $30.9-million player option for 2025-26 and can become a free agent, and the front office surely would rather deal with the consequences of that rather than being handcuffed to Towns' astronomical contract. Even after undergoing what was then season-ending shoulder surgery, Randle is projected to be ready to go for camp. 

A bench mob of Reid, DiVincenzo, and Nikeil Alexander-Walker instantly becomes one of the most formidable in the league, and now there's infinitely less pressure on rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. to produce out of the gate. DiVincenzo reportedly wasn't thrilled about seeing his role diminished with Bridges in the mix now anyway, according to SNYtv's Ian Begley, although his new role will likely be similar to that of the one he just dismissed. With Towns no longer in the equation, as well, Anthony Edwards will be counted on even more so in clutch moments, but as we just witnessed this past season, that's a load he's more than capable of carrying.

Time will tell if this deal improves the Timberwolves' stock or moves them down a tier in the title picture, because much of that will depend on how much Randle can produce and/or if he gets moved before he can potentially enter free agency. The incoming first rounder from Detroit is also an extremely valuable trade chip which could also bring in further reinforcements to bolster the squad.

Winner: New York Knicks, TBD for Minnesota Timberwolves