Celtics rival lands All-Star center in blockbuster trade with Wolves

The Knicks have been as aggressive as any team in the Eastern Conference this offseason, trying to dethrone the Celtics by reshaping their roster. New York took another huge step forward on Friday night, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a stunning blockbuster three-team trade that was first reported by Shams Charania of the Athletics.

The Knicks will reportedly send Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a heavily protected future first-round pick (via Detroit) to the Wolves in exchange for Towns strengthening their center position. The Knicks will also deal DaQuan Jeffries and work out compensation to the Hornets to make the salary adjustment in the three-team deal work. The move is a surprise for two teams that had good success in the playoffs last year, with the Knicks falling just one game out of the East Finals and the Wolves losing to the Mavericks in five games in the Western Conference Finals.

However, the rationale for the deal is relatively clear for both sides, despite the deal's surprising timing. Let's take a look at both sides of the deal from the Celtics' perspective.

Why the Wolves made the deal

This is a deal that largely depends on finances. Towns earned a whopping $49 million on his contract, and with Minnesota's repeat taxes set to take effect as early as next year, the team's $205 million payroll was clearly unsustainable for ownership. The Wolves have an adequate replacement for Towns on their bench in Naz Reid and are bringing in a former All-Star in Randle along with DiVincenzo, who will be a valuable wing for them from now on. It's unclear what their long-term plans are for Randle after his contract expires, but this is a move that allows them to remain competitive in the present while trimming the long-term payroll. The keys to the franchise are now officially handed over to Anthony Edwards.

Why the Knicks made the deal

After the offseason departure of Isaiah Hartenstein, the center position was a major problem for the Knicks. With Mitchell Robinson expected to miss at least two months of the year due to offseason ankle surgery, Towns is a proven answer to fill that void. The Knicks paid a high price for Towns with player assets, but he will certainly be viewed as an improvement over Randle, whom the Knicks apparently had no interest in extending.

Towns has his question marks defensively, but he certainly opens up a far more dangerous scoring formation for them that the Celtics will have a hard time guarding. However, Boston will still be able to outplay Towns on the edge by using five throwers. So it's questionable to what extent this deal closes the talent gap between the two teams.

The Celtics will face the new-look Knicks on opening night at TD Garden on October 22nd.