Bill Simmons spoke on his podcast about the Knicks trading Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. Simmons pointed out the roster construction of the Knicks, and how Randle’s fit with the team was suspect, which could have led to the Knicks front office pulling the trigger on a deal for him.
“I feel like there were some real chemistry concerns with Randle. Bringing him in under, as kind of the ugly stepchild of this Villanova 4 team. He’s over there, and he’s underpaid by the fact that he’s a top 50 guy. He’s gonna have to play out of position. [Jalen] Brunson’s gonna have the ball all the time. And they must have not liked something.”
Randle’s trade to the Timberwolves came out of nowhere. While there was speculation that Randle could be moved, no one had made any links between Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. This move has been discussed heavily over the weekend, with many debating how this affects both sides.
For the Knicks, this provides them the elite, spacing big that they needed to contend with Porzingis on the Celtics and Joel Embiid on the 76ers. With this roster, the Knicks will be considered one of the favorites to win the NBA championship, despite the tough competition within the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks will be looking to make a deep run in the playoffs, whereas Julius Randle will be beginning a new chapter in his career with the Timberwolves. It may be a short chapter, as he is in the final year of his contract and could leave in free agency, or even be traded once again by the Timberwolves.
How Does Karl-Anthony Town Help The Knicks?
Karl-Anthony Towns undoubtedly makes the Knicks a better team, but there will be some concerns about his fit. Towns will start the season out at the center position, as the Knicks are without Mitchell Robinson, who is still recovering from another injury, and Jericho Sims, while talented, is not at the level to start for a contender.
Towns at center is a difficult choice to make, as he is far from one of the best defenders at the position. In fact, prior to the 2023-24 NBA season, Towns was considered one of the weakest defending bigs in the entire league. But he did improve significantly this past season, which makes him more valuable to the Knicks.
Perhaps KAT can be trusted to be adequate on defense, with the rest of the Knicks squad shouldering much of the defensive responsibilities, just like the Timberwolves did when they had Towns. But the Knicks will be hoping that Towns at the center position in just temporary.
If they can get Mitchell Robinson back, the Knicks can then move Towns to the power forward position where he has been playing for the last four years. This would unlock the team’s potential, and make them arguably the best team in the entire NBA, and make them legitimate threats to unseat the Celtics and win the NBA championship.
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