Knicks Nearly Aced Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

The New York Knicks have been critiqued for their blockbuster trade.

Dec 30, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) prepares to play the Los Angeles Lakers before the game at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are shaking things up in the NBA by trading for Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round pick.

The Knicks acquire the best player in the deal, but give up a lot for him. That's why ESPN writer Kevin Pelton gave the Knicks a "B" for the trade.

"This move pushes the gas pedal on the Knicks' timetable to contend. Towns fills a gaping hole for New York, which lost Isaiah Hartenstein to the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency on a deal the Knicks couldn't possibly have matched, and won't have Mitchell Robinson to start the year following offseason ankle surgery," Pelton writes. "With Robinson out, Towns is undoubtedly an enormous upgrade at center to either Precious Achiuwa or Jericho Sims. He gives coach Tom Thibodeau five-out spacing while freeing a spot in the team's closing five for Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart to all finish games together alongside Towns and Brunson."

The Knicks get a positive grade for filling a need and getting an upgrade, but the cost is what drops the final result. The Knicks lose some depth with DiVincenzo leaving, but the team added Landry Shamet in recent days, and the team could look to get some production out of him from the 3-point line.

The Knicks kept the cards close to the vest, waiting until the eleventh hour to pull the trigger on this deal, but they get the guy they have wanted for years in Towns. New York has seen him as a potential trade target for a while, and even though it cost the team a handsome package, the Knicks fulfill their destiny and get their guy.

Now, Towns joins Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby as the core of the Knicks for the foreseeable future.

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