This is how the Karl-Anthony Towns trade impacts the OKC Thunder

Brody Bitters

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This is how the Karl-Anthony Towns trade impacts the OKC Thunder image

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Last night, the NBA world was shook as a massive trade took place between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks. Per Shams Charania of 'The Athletic', the Timberwolves sent All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick. 

This is a massive trade for both teams, as the Knicks add more star power to their loaded roster and the Timberwolves surround Anthony Edwards with elite shooting and scoring. But how will this affect the Oklahoma City Thunder and their efforts to seek an NBA title?

 

 

Taking a look at last year, the Thunder and the Wolves were neck-and-neck all season, with the Thunder becoming the one seed and the Wolves obtaining the third seed. In their four head-to-head matchups, the Thunder split the series 2-2. 

In every single game, the Timberwolves out rebounded the Thunder by an average of ten more boards. But what ultimately decided a win versus a loss was the three-point shooting. In three out the four games, the winning team ended up having the higher three-point shooting percentage.

Now, with KAT no longer with the Wolves, this answers the two major issues the Thunder faced with this team. KAT is a career 40% three-point shooter and was a vital piece in the Wolves success. Moreover, the lineup with him and Gobert as the frontcourt was a nightmare to deal with. 

With the Thunder no longer having to worry about the stretch-four in KAT and adding Isaiah Hartenstein to help out with rebounding and defense alongside Chet, OKC is built to take care of business when it comes to the Timberwolves.

The Thunder's first matchup with the Timberwolves takes place in OKC on Tuesday, December 31 at 7:00 PM CST and on NBA TV.

 

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Brody Bitters

Brody Bitters Photo

Brody Bitters is a graduate from Butler University, where he studied Sports Media and Strategic Communications for four years. Brody previously worked as a sports reporter in Zanesville, Ohio, where he covered all things athletics from high school football, baseball, and track & field to the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brody played basketball, football, and soccer and is a diehard Buckeye. Moreover, Brody is a massive fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Broncos, which appear random on paper, but have very specific and unique backstories.