'Villanova' Knicks No More

When reports surfaced of the New York Knicks "nearing" a trade for Karl Anthony-Towns, initial tweets from Shams Charania and Jon Krawczysnki didn't list the players involved. Julius Randle would have to be the centerpiece to make the trade work. New York had to throw another player to match Towns' $49.2 million earnings for the 2024-25 season.

Unfortunately, for fans of the championship college product, it's a member of the "Villanova" Knicks.

Donte DiVincenzo, a likely Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the 2024-25 season, will now play with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the reigning Western Conference Finals runner-up. Although you can argue he went to a better team, the idea of four players from the same college, within the same era, playing on one roster made for a fun storyline.

Moreover, the potential chemistry the Knicks had is now erased.

That's not to say the Knicks' synergy will suffer, but it'll look different. Having a large percentage of the roster with a connection as deep and powerful as a championship bond could have taken this team to a new reach.

However, while the Big East connection to Villanova and the college's proximity to New York made for quite the marketing play, the Knicks received an All-Star in Towns.

Related: Knicks SHOCKER! How’s KAT Trade Help NBA Finals Chances?

Perhaps Rose saw the Villanova Knicks as a cute storyline but not one to put the Knicks over the top. Nonetheless, merchandise and the overall narrative of such a four-man unit would have made for quite the coverage.