Fans make feelings clear after 'Villanova Knicks' broken up by Karl-Anthony Towns trade

The "Nova Knicks" are no more after Donte DiVincenzo was shipped to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.

The Knicks were set to be built around a core of four former Villanova players – DiVincenzo, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart – next season, but the quartet has been torn apart with DiVincenzo and Julias Randle the makeweights in a deal to acquire four-time All-Star center Towns.

Bridges had been the Knicks' headline acquisition of the offseason, joining in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets, but Knicks fans have seen their hopes of seeing a four-man core of Wildcats have been crushed before the season has even begun.

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Many were quick to react on social media. Although Towns adds more star power to the roster, DiVincenzo was much-loved by the fanbase and his exit has brought disappointment.

The 27-year-old, an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, spent just one season with the Knicks, but he produced highlight-reel moments, including his last game for the franchise – Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals defeat to the Indiana Pacers, when he racked up 39 points in a 130-109 loss.

"Wow, Knicks formed the Nova boys of Brunson, Donte, Hart, and Mikal in the offseason only to break them apart in the offseason too," one fan wrote.

Another said: "I am heartbroken Donte DiVincenzo is not a Knick," and a third added: "I cannot imagine rooting for Donte DiVincenzo one year and suddenly transitioning to KAT the next. The exact opposite body language. DiVincenzo is perfect for the city and fanbase. KAT better show up every night."

Knicks fans were not the only people caught off guard by the trade. Towns himself seemed to have no idea that his time with the Timberwolves, who drafted him No. 1 overall in 2015, was over.

His post on X, merely writing "..." said it all as his stay in Minnesota was brought to an abrupt end. But the seven-footer adds significant quality to the Knicks' team that hopes to emerge as a genuine championship contender, averaging almost 23 points and more than 10 rebounds per game across his NBA career.

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The trade has raised eyebrows on both sides of the deal, but it makes financial sense for the Timberwolves. Towns was set to begin a four-year, $220 million max extension, worth almost $50m over the first season of the deal.

With the Knicks now picking up the tab on Towns' deal, Minnesota has acquired two impactful players who are set to earn a combined $40.5m in 2024/25, reducing salary cap pressure while gaining two new talented pieces to deploy alongside star man Anthony Edwards.