While New York will be title contenders with the versatile Towns, the Timberwolves will continue to contend in the Western Conference with their additions.

One way to think about this deal financially is the difference between Towns’ contract and Randle’s likely wages over that same period.

The deal brought Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota along with a protected first-round pick, improving the team's depth in the short term and its flexibility for the foreseeable future. The depth was appealing in part because the Wolves had let veterans Kyle Anderson and Monte Morris go in free agency.