The Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves in a precarious position at the halfway point of the NBA season. After a stellar 2023-24 campaign that saw them win 56 games and reach the Western Conference Finals, the team has taken a noticeable step back, now sitting just above .500 and clinging to the ninth spot in the standings. Many are pointing fingers, and ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins has offered a scathing critique of the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks.
Perkins’ Criticism: “The Worst Trade in NBA History?”
On ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Perkins didn’t hold back, labeling the Timberwolves’ decision to trade Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo as a catastrophic move. “They’re the most disappointing team,” Perkins said, even suggesting the deal could be remembered as the worst trade in NBA history.
His reasoning centered on the struggles of Anthony Edwards, who has had to adjust to a new lineup dynamic that Perkins claims has stifled his offensive freedom. “Everyone keeps talking about, ‘Oh, Anthony Edwards isn’t attacking the basket, he’s shooting too many three-pointers.’ He has no choice! Because he’s on the floor with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle, and the paint is crowded,” Perkins argued.
Perkins’ point wasn’t just about Edwards but about the larger decision Minnesota made: opting to prioritize Rudy Gobert over Karl-Anthony Towns. Gobert, a defensive anchor, was acquired in a blockbuster trade in 2022, but questions about his fit alongside Towns lingered. When the Wolves sent Towns to New York, many believed it was a financial decision, but the fallout has been swift and unforgiving.
The Trade’s Impact: Wolves vs. Knicks
The comparison between the two teams since the trade is stark. The Knicks are thriving, sitting third in the Eastern Conference with a 29–16 record. Towns has been a significant contributor, averaging 25.1 points per game and shooting a career-best 43.1% from beyond the arc. With the All-Star break approaching, Towns seems destined for his fifth selection, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s elite big men.
Meanwhile, Julius Randle has seen a decline in production with the Timberwolves, posting 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game—numbers significantly below his 2023-24 performance. Donte DiVincenzo has been a solid rotational player, but his impact pales in comparison to what Towns brought to Minnesota.
Is Perkins Overreacting?
While Perkins’ claim that this is the worst trade in NBA history might be an overstatement—especially given the league’s long history of lopsided deals—there’s no denying that the trade has negatively affected Minnesota. Fellow Countdown panelists Chiney Ogwumike and Malika Andrews challenged Perkins on his take, but the sentiment behind his argument resonated: the Timberwolves are far from the team they were last season.
Whether or not the trade will go down as historically bad remains to be seen, but for now, the Timberwolves are left to grapple with a decision that has altered their trajectory. With Anthony Edwards still developing and Rudy Gobert anchoring the defense, the team must find a way to reclaim the momentum they lost when Towns departed.
As the second half of the season unfolds, the pressure is on Minnesota to prove that this trade was not the monumental mistake Perkins claims it to be.