Minnesota Consolidated Two Fringe Players Into a Veteran Center
Minnesota acquired Ed Davis from New York for Jacob Evans III, Omari Spellman and the Timberwolves' 2026 second-round pick. The deal was a roster-consolidation move after Evans and Spellman had arrived from Golden State in the D'Angelo Russell trade earlier that year. Davis brought a decade of NBA experience and a strong rebounding track record to a young frontcourt. The Wolves were paying a distant second-round pick to turn two players outside their plans into a veteran they could actually use, which makes the original logic more defensible than the final C+ grade alone suggests.
Davis Gave Minnesota Only 23 Games
Davis appeared in 23 games for the Timberwolves in 2020-21, starting seven and averaging 2.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in 13.0 minutes. That was useful reserve-center work, but it lasted one season. He left Minnesota and finished his NBA career with Cleveland the following year. The Wolves therefore received some real on-court value, yet not enough volume or longevity to offset the fact that they also surrendered a future second-round asset. Their side was functional rather than damaging, which fits the canonical C+ rather than a failing grade.
The Knicks Got No NBA Minutes From Evans or Spellman
The two players did not drive New York's advantage. The Knicks waived Evans on December 9, 2020, before he appeared in a regular-season game for them. Spellman stayed slightly longer but never played a regular-season game for New York and was waived in January 2021 when the club brought back Taj Gibson. That leaves the 2026 second-round pick as the meaningful return. The canonical ledger still labels that pick as unresolved, but updated transaction history identifies it as Minnesota's own 2026 second, which ultimately corresponded to the No. 51 slot in the 2026 draft after later routing.
The Future Pick Is Why New York Holds the Edge
The 2026 second eventually became the draft slot used on Izaiyah Nelson, who was selected No. 51 by Washington and traded to Orlando on draft night. That does not mean the Knicks should be credited with Nelson's later career or even with making that selection; the intervening routing must be kept separate from this 2020 trade. It does confirm that the asset itself survived long enough to become a real second-round selection. Minnesota got 23 games from Davis. New York got no player minutes from Evans or Spellman but extracted a future pick from a veteran it had acquired only days earlier, giving the Knicks the stronger asset result.
Final Verdict
Knicks Win — Minnesota C+, New York B+. Minnesota received 23 games, seven starts and 5.0 rebounds per game from Ed Davis before his one Wolves season ended. New York got no regular-season minutes from Jacob Evans III or Omari Spellman, but it also received Minnesota's 2026 second-round pick. Updated transaction history ties that pick to the No. 51 slot that became Izaiyah Nelson after subsequent routing. The Knicks should not be credited with Nelson's later value, but the future pick gave them a durable asset from a player they had acquired only days earlier, while Minnesota's return was limited to one season of reserve-center minutes.