• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

Knicks-Timberwolves Trade Showcases Impact of New CBA

  • The Knicks will reportedly acquire Karl-Anthony Towns from the Timberwolves for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick.
  • The trade gives Minnesota more salary-cap flexibility over the next few years.
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Timberwolves, following their first conference finals appearance in 20 years, traded away four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns. And salary-cap management played a massive role in the decision.

On Friday, The Athletic reported Minnesota was trading Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a protected first-round pick (via the Pistons). Towns is set to make $220 million over the next four years. 

The T-Wolves—who are still entering this season with the league’s second-highest payroll—would have paid nearly $150 million to just Towns, Anthony Edwards, and Rudy Gobert in each of the next two seasons. 

Randle and DiVincenzo each have smaller and shorter contracts and could be used as trade pieces down the line. Their deals also offer the Wolves a better chance to get below the league’s dreaded second apron after this year.

What Are the Second Apron Penalties?

The NBA instituted its new CBA in 2023—which came with two different figures above the salary cap, called aprons. If teams were to pass those marks, they were set to face penalties, with the second apron, naturally, including more severe punishments.

It will be much harder for second-apron teams to make trades, as they will not be allowed to use trade exceptions to ensure matching salaries. They will also be stripped of the taxpayer mid-level exception, a free-agency option that many top teams use to add additional roster depth. (For example, the Nuggets used this to sign Dario Šarić.)

Perhaps the most damaging penalty is that teams that pass the second apron for three out of five seasons will have their first-round pick automatically moved to the end of the round.

Another Philosophy

The Wolves were serious contenders who defeated the defending champion Nuggets last year, so running back the same core made sense in a wide-open Western Conference. While the team would sacrifice future roster flexibility and potentially incur massive fees, some front offices or ownership groups would argue a championship heals all wounds.

That’s what some in Boston seem to feel.

In 2025–2026, Boston is expected to pay a record $500 million for its payroll, with more than half of the charges coming from tax penalties. The fees have reportedly divided ownership and were a driver in the decision to put the team up for sale.

“With the new CBA and the penalties that are associated with it … I think that those are all things that we have to be super aware of,” Brad Stevens, Celtics president of basketball operations, said at the team’s media day last week. “We need to just keep doing what we’re doing, and business as usual, and do what you can to build the best team that we can and see what happens from there.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Creator Behind the LeBron ‘Glazing’ Trend Sweeping TikTok

FOS spoke to TikTok user OkaySpade who made the original song.
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys manager Amir Khan before a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion
April 1, 2025

Inside the 24-Hour NIL March Madness Deals

Some of the most viral partnerships come together overnight.
Seattle Kraken
April 1, 2025

Samantha Holloway Is Seattle’s NHL Present—and Hopeful NBA Future

Samantha Holloway is steering the Kraken and hoping to revive pro hoops.
Brehanna Daniels
March 31, 2025

NASCAR Pit Crew Member Brehanna Daniels Didn’t Know She’d Be a Trailblazer

The first Black female tire changer didn’t know she’d be a trailblazer.
Los Angeles Golf Club owners Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams cheer for their team against the New York Golf Club during the TGL semifinal match at SoFi Center on March 17, 2025, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
exclusive

Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian Bid on NFL Flag Football

Williams and Ohanian are the first known bidders for the flag football leagues.
Laney-Hamilton
April 1, 2025

WNBA Champion Missing Season Shows Risks and Kinks of Unrivaled

The Liberty have six weeks to make a decision on Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
April 1, 2025

Goodell, Owners Signal 18-Game NFL Season Is Coming—Eventually

The idea of a longer schedule ties into several other league initiatives.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.
April 1, 2025

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
April 1, 2025

NFL Tush Push Vote Has Been Pushed

Owners table a vote on the highly debated quarterback sneak play.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
March 31, 2025

Major Unrivaled Injury Hits WNBA

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton injured her meniscus at the new Miami league.
exclusive
March 31, 2025

NFL Considers Backers for Pro Flag Football Leagues Ahead of LA28

The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles are seen as a likely watershed event.