After finishing second in the NBA Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks had their championship hopes dashed in the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. To strengthen their roster for the upcoming season, the Knicks made a bold move by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
To land Towns, the Knicks had to give up key players, including Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. However, the trade has sparked even more attention due to an interesting revelation about how the Knicks pulled off the deal. According to a report from Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks found a clever loophole in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“The Knicks have discovered a new loophole in the CBA. Teams in their situation cannot aggregate minimums anymore. So in the sign and trades of Jeffries, Brown, and Washington, they are paying each of those guys just $1 above the minimum,” the report read.
Knicks’ Roster Maneuvering Faces NBA Scrutiny After Karl-Anthony Towns Trade
The New York Knicks’ clever use of the CBA rules allowed them to execute the Karl-Anthony Towns trade while keeping their roster flexible. As part of this creative strategy, the Knicks must sign DaQuan Jeffries, Charlie Brown Jr., and Duane Washington Jr. to contracts that exceed the minimum salary by $1.
However, not everyone supports the Knicks’ approach. Fred Katz revealed in a social media post that the NBA is not too happy about the team exploiting this loophole.
“I have heard from various people that the league isn’t thrilled about this—but such is the way it goes with new CBAs. The NBA tries to close up loopholes, and then smart people working for teams find new ones,” Katz wrote.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
While the NBA may not be pleased, the Knicks’ resourcefulness has allowed them to add Towns to their roster without jeopardizing their cap situation. The deal now puts them in a strong position for the upcoming season to encounter strong opponents like the Boston Celtics.
Also Read: Joe Mazzulla Gives An Honest Opinion On Karl-Anthony Towns’ Joining The New York Knicks.
