3 Reasons Why Knicks vs Timberwolves Is The Most Interesting Potential NBA Finals Matchup

As we reach the midway point of round two of the NBA Playoffs, one potential NBA Finals matchup that has my eye is the idea of the New York Knicks facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves for the Larry O'Brien Trophy this June.

In case you're wondering, yes, I do have a futures bet that would pay me a decent amount of change should these be the last two teams standing. But beyond a financial incentive for myself, I think this matchup would be full of storylines and subplots that would make great theater. Oh yeah, not to mention we just get great basketball in general should these two be our final contestants.

If the Knicks and Timberwolves are the teams that reach the Finals, I think it would be one of the more compelling matchups in years and here are some reasons why I think this.

The Trade

Let's get the obvious out of the way. Back in September, just before the season began, the Knicks and Timberwolves made the blockbuster deal that sent Wolves legend Karl-Anthony Towns, who spent nine seasons in Minnesota, to the Big Apple for a package centered around forward Julius Randle. While there were rocky times for each team after the trade to begin the season, both Randle and Towns have excelled on their new teams here in the postseason, showing off that the could be the rare deal where both sides benefited.

It would be cool to see the teams that essentially got this NBA season off the ground with the trade be the ones who end it with a Finals matchup where we could actually get the answer of who won the deal.

From "The Nova-Knicks" To "The Nova-Finals"

Before the trade, many Knicks were excited for this "Nova-Knicks" era of basketball in New York. However, they never got the chance to see Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte Divincenzo all share the floor together, as Divincenzo was one of the players involved in the deal that brought Towns to New York. If the Knicks and Wolves were to face off in the Finals, we would get to see these former college teammates who won a National Championship together back in 2016 have to put their friendships aside for a couple of weeks in June, as the Knicks' Nova trio takes on one of their closer friends in Divincenzo as they battle for basketball's ultimate prize.

A Changing Of The Guards

While there would be plenty of storylines to find in this potential NBA Finals matchup, the real box office draw would be the guard matchup between Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson.

Since joining the Knicks before the 2022-23 season, Brunson has gotten better each year, taking his game to new heights, and is no doubt now one of the best players in the NBA with his ability to knock clutch shots, as we have seen time and time again throughout the first eight games of the Knicks' postseason run this year.

In Minnesota, I am not sure anyone's brand or superstardom has grown more over the last year than Anthony Edwards. Over the last two years in the playoffs, he has taken out legends like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. Over the last few years, the NBA has been searching for its "next face," and with the trajectory he is on, Edwards very well could be that face. Now imagine if he is able to get his team to the Finals at just 23 years old in a matchup that would put him up against one of the NBA's biggest brands in the Knicks, who were essentially saved by Brunson's rise.

With legends like LeBron, Durant, and Curry on their way out, getting these two fresh faces to be the best players on championship-caliber teams, I think, would be great for the NBA and an overall great matchup between these two players and teams.