Donte DiVincenzo Makes Bold Claim on Knicks Trade

The New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years, and a big reason behind that distinction comes from a trade made back in September.

Just before the start of training camp, the Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns in a move that has appeared to help both franchises.

The Wolves beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 to clinch their second consecutive Conference Finals visit, and DiVincenzo spoke to reporters before the matchup about his relationship with the Knicks and the trade itself.

“I talk to them everyday but from a basketball standpoint ... it’s really cool to see a trade that happens where you can rule it as a win-win for both sides," DiVincenzo said h/t Zone Coverage reporter Andrew Dukowitz.

The Wolves were criticized for trading Towns after a nine-year stint with the team. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft went through many trials and tribulations with the franchise before finally reaching the Western Conference Finals last season — Minnesota's first in 20 years.

Now, the Wolves look like winners in the deal after returning to the Conference Finals this season, and they did it with even more ease than before after breezing by the Los Angeles Lakers and Warriors going 8-2 in that stretch with four victories coming on the road.

The Knicks still need one more win to get their Conference Finals taste, and if they get that, DiVincenzo's "win-win" claim could become even more true. If the Knicks fumble their 3-1 lead against the Celtics as Jayson Tatum is on the sidelines, the Wolves may be considered the winner of the deal.