Michael Malone downplays Karl-Anthony Towns' trade impact on Nuggets despite playoffs drubbing vs Wolves
It was a huge day for the NBA landscape when the announcement of Karl-Anthony Towns' trade to the New York Knicks was made last Friday. It was the type of trade that was likely to shake up certain matchups in the league.
However, Nuggets coach Michael Malone was not too concerned with what it meant for his team. He was asked about it ahead of tomorrow's game against the Celtics in Abu Dhabi.
The Nuggets' quest for a back-to-back championship in the 2024 playoffs was cut short by the Timberwolves in their semifinal meeting. One of their points of emphasis was to hamper Nikola Jokic's effectiveness on the court with the presence of their frontcourt.
The same can be said about how they were able to erase Denver's easy looks at the rim through their bigs' rim protection.
"No, we're worried about us," Malone said. "We don't concern ourselves with what's going on outside of our gym. We're just worried about the Denver Nuggets and what we try to do on a daily basis."
With the departure of Towns in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, Minnesota is envisioned to pair the former Knicks forward alongside Rudy Gobert down low. The latest trade also opens the door for more opportunities for Naz Reid to showcase his skill set on the court.
Randle's arrival doesn't complicate what the Timberwolves are doing with their defensive process, especially coming from Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's coaching style.
However, Karl-Anthony Towns' value in spacing might end up being missed by the team as Julius Randle's shooting isn't at the same efficiency as the former Timberwolves big man.
Karl-Anthony Towns talked about Jalen Brunson's situation with the Knicks before trade
During an interview with Shannon Sharpe on his 'Club Shay Shay' podcast, Karl-Anthony Towns pointed to Jalen Brunson's situation with the Knicks. He commended how everything has fitted well since his arrival.
"I mean, Jalen Brunson, shoutout to him," Towns said. "You can't put a value on the fact that he's at where he wants to be. And I think that's a big value number one that no one's thinking of. He's with his father ... he has a team that believes in him. I think that belief that a team and an organization can give you something, that's worth a lot a lot of money.
"They give him that belief and I think that he felt that was the best situation for him and I root him on for that."
Towns highlighted Brunson being valued and prioritized by the Knicks franchise to make him feel at ease and at home. He wasn't insinuating that his situation in Minnesota at the time was far off from what Brunson had.
However, his comments were made before he ended up being moved to New York after nine seasons with the Timberwolves franchise. After being envisioned as a core piece alongside Anthony Edwards, the team's front office finally decided it was time to move on from the tandem and focus on developing Edwards.