The Knicks are fully engaged. After landing Karl-Anthony Towns in surprise blockbuster with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York is all in contention for a championship.
After getting Villages and Mikal Bridges this offseason, New York’s closet is pretty much bare. The core is fixed. Jalen Brunson is the star of the equipment with Cities as a complementary star. Bridges and AND Anunoby are the complementary two-way wings. On the periphery is Josh Hast, Miles McBride and often injured center Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks gave up a good amount to get Towns. Julius Randle was a three-time All-Star. Donte DiVincenzo broke the club’s franchise record for three pointers made in a season. The first-round pick that New York sent to Minnesota via Detroit could have some value if the Pistons become a playoff team in the next two years.
The trade for Towns is really about Brunson. The Brunson-Randle partnership never felt symbiotic despite both players finding a good balance just before Randle’s season-ending shoulder injury in January.
They had a “your turn, my turn” style of play when on the floor together. Randle rarely screened for Brunson, in part because the Knicks always had a center clogging up the paint.
But Brunson and Towns together should be what the Knicks offense is built around. Towns’ three-point shooting is dangerous and should open up opportunities for Brunson to attack in space.
The seven-footer is just a shade under 40 percent from three for his career and knocked down 41.6 percent from three on 327 attempts last season. If teams switch picks and rolls, Towns can crush smaller defenders in the post, tackle and attack on straight drives as well.
The presence of cities should open opportunities for the other players of New York as well. Anunoby and Bridges are two of the best corner three-point shooters in the NBA and above average as off the ball cutters. The gravitas that Brunson and Towns have should create looks for them.
Flaws and all
Cities do have their flaws. Although he returned late in the regular season, he is coming off meniscus surgery on his left knee. Over the past five years, he has missed 20 or more games in four seasons.
The defense of cities was also always a question. Although Towns has made some improvements as a defender, most of that growth has occurred with big defenders like Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels covering his weaknesses.
The Knicks do have Bridges, Anunoby, Hart and McBride as quality perimeter defenders, which should put less pressure on Towns to have to cover everything in the paint.
In going from Randle to City, the Knicks declined in one area, playmaking. For all of Randle’s warts, he averaged five assists a night last season and has averaged at least four dimes over the last four seasons. Towns has improved as a passer, but he still has a penchant for dumb decisions and wild offensive fouls.
Also, including DiVincenzo in the deal weakens New York’s depth. His three-point shooting has become a real weapon and he is a versatile two-guard who excels in many aspects of the game.
wait Josh Hart to start, although the Knicks could later play Cities and Robinson together in a two-center lineup when Robinson returns. New York’s bench is thinner and one or more injuries are much more difficult for the club to stomach.
But this business is worth the risk. New York’s formula for winning the last few years under Tom Thibodeau was offensive rebounding. Creating extra possessions helped the Knicks build a top-ten offense despite being 20th in true shooting percentage last season. Offensive rebounding was the x-factor in both of New York’s 2024 and 2023 first-round series.
Adding Cities changes that equation. With his ability to spread the floor, Towns won’t hover around the offensive glass the way centers like Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Nerlens Noel did in the past. But to build a true title contender, New York needed to build a half-court offense with better spacing and shot-making.
To do that, the Knicks sacrificed a lot. Doing this business, the floor of New York is much worse. Injuries and potential defensive issues could cut a season short. But after the trade, the team’s ceiling is higher. And as the franchise looks to compete for a championship, the addition of Cities gives them a realistic path to contention.
