Acquiring the best player in a trade is usually the goal. Although the winners and losers of such trades are often not determined until months and perhaps years later, that is usually a good starting point.
In the case of the New York Knicks, who in a blockbuster special on Friday evening acquired Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via Detroit (while Daquan Jefferies and compensation for Charlotte), the best player to New York. But does that undoubtedly make the Knicks better?
I’m not so sure.
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Towns is the best player in this business. That goes without saying. He is a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA talent who year after year has lent real credence to his 2021 claim that he is “the greatest big man shooter of all time.”
Offensively, his skill set alone offers something the Knicks have been absent from their frontcourt for years. He scores without any problems in New York. Cities will be cities. Furthermore, along with the addition of Mikal Bridges this offseason and OG Anunoby earlier this year, he 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 by.
However, this trade doesn’t address the Knicks’ two biggest needs, especially after the news that Mitchell Robinson could be out (ankle) until January, namely front court defense and secondary playmaking. You could even argue that New York became worse in both departments by making this deal. Randle, despite his shortcomings in that area, is at least a little more versatile in who he can guard.
That said, the defense might be easier to solve, assuming Robinson comes back 100 percent healthy — which should never be assumed. New York’s likely starting lineup to start the year of Brunson-Josh Hart-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns could easily change to Brunson-Bridges-Anunoby-Towns-Robinson by midseason. That could theoretically alleviate any concerns if all goes well for the Knicks and Robinson’s recovery. But the secondary playmaking that ultimately was a big part of New York’s postseason elimination will need to come with some show-and-proves to make progress internally.
Randle has had extended moments with the Knicks where he was a legitimately good playmaker. You can’t look past 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 before his injury — were up and the offense was mostly good in those game scenarios.
During the 2020-2021 season, Randle had a career year — earning eight top MVP votes, winning the Most Improved Player award and being named both All-Star and All-NBA — and his growth as a passer is a big reason for such accolades. A healthy Randle could have alleviated some of the secondary playmaking concerns New York faced later in the season. Then DiVincenzo’s performance as a decisive ball mover will of course also be missed in the future.
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Much of the responsibility for improving New York’s playmaking outside of Brunson now rests heavily on Bridges and Miles “Deuce” McBride. Bridges just got a crash course in what it’s like to be put in that position across the bridge with Brooklyn, but has yet to be in a place where he had to have such responsibilities on a team that matters. And for all the intrigue McBride brings, it can’t simply be assumed that the 24-year-old guard will step into such a void with a big 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 was off the floor. With Towns in the ranks, you might wonder if a lineup without Brunson would be a bit more predictable, as Towns doesn’t quite have the ball-handling skills that 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 want to pay Randle what he wanted, hence the trade. In turn, New York traded a flawed star player on an essentially expiring contract for a flawed star player on a long-term contract. Aside from the impact on the field, that’s a solid case.
However, the Knicks are on the cusp of their most anticipated season in more than two decades, with a championship trophy just on the other side of the closed door. How this affects basketball this season and the future carries just as much weight as good logistics. A championship is there for them to grab.
The Knicks got their best player in a trade. New York has more talent than Thursday. However, that does leave you wondering if the Knicks have actually addressed the concerns that followed them before the deal. We’ll know sooner or later if New York made the right decision.
But until we get an answer, it’s fair to wonder.
Required reading
John Hollinger: Why KAT-for-Randle trading could turn the “best player” maxim on its head
(Top photo of Karl-Anthony Towns: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
