Knicks Acquire Draft Rights to Nnaji in Trade

The Charlotte Hornets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks finalized a complex three-team trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle. The Hornets traded the draft rights to James Nnaji to the Knicks and received three second-round picks along with players Charlie Brown Jr., Duane Washington Jr., and DaQuan Jeffries, although these players are expected to be waived. New York acquired Karl-Anthony Towns and the draft rights to Nnaji, while Minnesota received Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop, and a 2025 top-13 protected first-round pick from Detroit. This trade, notable for its use of the Room Exception rule from the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, marks the second historical trade orchestrated by the Hornets' Vice President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson. The deal also involved $7.2 million in cash from New York to Charlotte to cover waived player costs.