Why acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t guarantee Knicks got better

Acquiring the best player in a trade is usually the goal. While winners and losers of such transactions aren’t often determined until months and, maybe, years later, that tends to be a good starting point.

In the case of the New York Knicks, who, in a blockbuster, Friday night, three-team special acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via Detroit (while sending Daquan Jefferies and draft compensation to Charlotte), the best player is coming to New York. But does that undoubtedly make the Knicks better?

I’m not so sure.

Towns is the best player in this trade. That goes without saying. He’s a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA talent who, year after year, has given real credence to his 2021 claim of being “the greatest big man shooter of all time.”

Offensively, his skill set alone provides something the Knicks have been absent of in their frontcourt for many years. He’ll score with no problem in New York. Towns will be Towns. Furthermore, he, along with the addition of Mikal Bridges this offseason and OG Anunoby earlier this year, will create optimal spacing for Jalen Brunson, a top-six MVP candidate a year ago, who is the Benjamin Button of the NBA, as he continues to look more attractive as a player as time goes on.

This trade does not, however, address the Knicks’ two biggest needs, particularly following the news that Mitchell Robinson (ankle) could be out until January, which are front-court defense and secondary playmaking. In fact, one could make the case that New York got worse in both departments making this deal. Randle, despite his flaws on that end, is at least a bit more versatile in who he can guard.

With that said, though, defense may be easier to fix, assuming Robinson comes back 100-percent healthy — which should never be assumed. New York’s likely starting lineup to begin the year of Brunson-Josh Hart-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns can easily transform into Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns-Robinson by the halfway point of the season. That, theoretically, could ease any concerns if all breaks right for the Knicks and Robinson’s recovery. The secondary playmaking, though, which ended up being a large part of the exit in the postseason for New York, will have to come with some show-and-prove in order to progress internally.

Randle has had prolonged moments with the Knicks where he’s been a legitimately good playmaker. You can look no further than last year, particularly when New York was 12-2 in the games Randle played in January before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the season. Randle’s numbers as a pick-and-roll ballhandler — not just in January but the games he played in before injury — were up and the offense tended to be good in those playmaking scenarios.

During the 2020-21 season, Randle had a career year — earning top-eight MVP votes, winning the Most Improved Player award and being picked for both All-Star and All-NBA — and his growth as a passer is a big reason for such accolades. A healthy Randle could have addressed some of the secondary playmaking concerns that faced New York later in the season. Then, of course, DiVincenzo’s chops as a decisive ball-mover will be missed going forward, too.

A lot of the onus to try to improve New York’s playmaking outside of Brunson now rests heavily on Bridges and Miles “Deuce” McBride. Bridges just went through a crash course on what it’s like to be put in that position across the bridge with Brooklyn, but has still yet to be in a spot where he’s had to have such responsibilities on a team that matters. And for all the intrigue that comes with McBride, it can’t just be assumed that the 24-year-old guard will step into such a void with great impact. With Randle, whether you love him or not, it was a bit clearer to see how the Knicks could be a bit more versatile offensively in the minutes Brunson was off the floor. With Towns now in the fold, it’s fair to wonder if a Brunson-less lineup is a bit more predictable because Towns doesn’t quite have the ballhandling skill set Randle possesses.

It always felt likely that Randle, who has a player option after this season, would be dealt this season. The belief around the league was that the Knicks wouldn’t be willing to pay Randle what he wanted, hence the trade. In turn, New York traded a flawed star player on essentially an expiring contract for a flawed star player on a long-term contract. On-court impact aside, that’s solid business.

However, the Knicks are on the doorstep of their most anticipated season in more than two decades, with a championship trophy just on the other side of the locked door. How this impacts basketball for this season, and going forward, weighs equally as heavy as good, logistical business. A championship is right there for them to snatch.

The Knicks got the best player in a trade. New York is more talented than it was on Thursday. However, with that, it’s fair to wonder if the Knicks actually addressed any of the concerns following them prior to the deal. We’ll know sooner or later if New York made the right call.

Until we get an answer, though, it’s fair to wonder.

Required reading

John Hollinger: Why KAT-for-Randle trade may turn ‘best player’ maxim on its head

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(Top photo of Karl-Anthony Towns: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)