Why acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns isn't a guarantee the Knicks will do better

The goal is usually to get the best player in a trade. Although winners and losers in such transactions are often not determined until months or perhaps even years later, this is usually a good starting point.

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

I'm not so sure.

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Cities Is the best player in this profession. That goes without saying. He's a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA talent who, year after year, has added real credibility to his 2021 claim to be “the greatest big man shooter of all time.” .

On offense, his skills alone provide something that the Knicks have been missing in their frontcourt for many years, at least at this level. He will score easily in New York. Cities will be cities. Additionally, along with the addition of Mikal Bridges this offseason and OG Anunoby earlier this year, he will create optimal spacing for Jalen Brunson, who was a top-6 MVP candidate a year ago and is the Benjamin Button of the NBA, like him continues to look more attractive as a player over time.

However, this trade doesn't cover the Knicks' two biggest needs, especially after the news that Mitchell Robinson (ankle) could be out until January, namely frontcourt defense and secondary playmaking. In fact, one could argue that New York did worse in both departments in this deal. Randle, despite his shortcomings in this regard, is at least a little more versatile in who he can guard.

With that in mind, however, the defense may be easier to fix, assuming, of course, that Robinson returns 100 percent healthy – which should never be assumed. New York's likely starting lineup at the start of the year of Brunson-Josh Hart-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns can easily morph into Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns-Robinson by midseason. That could theoretically allay any concerns if everything goes well for the Knicks and Robinson's recovery. However, the secondary playmaking that ultimately accounted for a large part of New York's postseason exit has a lot to show and prove in order to move forward internally.

Randle had a long stint with the Knicks where he was a pretty good playmaker. You can't look any further than last year, especially 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 in the games he played in before his injury — were up, and the offense tended to perform well in those playmaking scenarios. In the 2020-21 season, Randle had a career year – receiving top-8 MVP votes, winning the Most Improved Player award and being voted both an All-Star and All-NBA – and his development as a passer is an important reason for such awards. A healthy Randle could have addressed some of the secondary playmaking issues New York faced later in the season. Then of course DiVincenzo's skills as a decisive ball mover will also be missing in the future.

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A lot of the responsibility for improving New York's play outside of Brunson now falls heavily on Bridges and Miles “Deuce” McBride. Bridges has just had a crash course in what it's like to be put in that position with Brooklyn, but isn't yet at a point where he has to shoulder that kind of responsibility on a major team. And for all the intrigue that McBride brings, you can't just assume that the 24-year-old guard will step into such a void with great impact. With Randle, love him or not, it was a little clearer to see how the Knicks could be a little more versatile offensively in the minutes Brunson wasn't on the floor. Now that Towns is in, it's fair to wonder if a lineup without Brunson is a little more predictable because Towns doesn't quite have the ball-handling skills that Randle does.

It always seemed likely that Randle, who has a player option after this season, would be dealt at some point this season. There was a belief around the league that the Knicks would not be willing to pay Randle what he wanted, hence the trade. In return, New York traded a flawed star player on what was essentially an expiring contract for a flawed star player on a long-term contract. Aside from the impact on the pitch, this is a solid deal.

However, the Knicks are on the verge of their most anticipated season in more than two decades, with a championship title just on the other side of the closed door. How this affects the sport of basketball this year and the future is as difficult as a good logistical deal. A championship is there for them to grab.

The Knicks got the best player in a trade. New York is more talented than it was on Thursday. With that in mind, however, it's fair to wonder whether the Knicks actually addressed the concerns they had before making the deal. We'll know sooner or later whether New York made the right decision.

However, until we get an answer, it's fair to wonder.

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