Karl-Anthony Towns' game fits with Knicks, shows New York is ready to take next step

As strange as it will be to see Karl-Anthony Towns in a Knicks jersey, adding the four-time All-Star could help take New York to another level. While Towns admitted being "shocked" when he learned about the trade, he's a perfect fit on the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks. 

After nine years in Minnesota, Towns was dealt to the Knicks in exchange for three-time All-Star Julius Randle, guard Donte DiVincenzo and a protected first-round pick of the Pistons. The move makes it clear the Knicks are going all in on winning big with their new-look roster this coming season. 

Towns brings career averages of 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game with him to Madison Square Garden. And while Towns fit well next to Anthony Edwards, his game should translate to playing alongside a Knicks roster that also includes Mikal Bridges, who New York acquired in a separate move earlier in the offseason. 

In his second year with the Knicks, Brunson averaged 28.7 points per game, by far his best offensive season of his career. Bridges registered 19.6 with the Brooklyn Nets and has displayed an ability to score even more based on his past output. 

Towns has shown an ability to adjust to whoever he's on the court with, transitioning from being the focal point of the offense early in his career to becoming the Timberwolves' second option behind Edwards. Even as Edwards emerged as a true superstar, Towns' numbers didn't suffer that much. 

He still averaged 21.8 points per game throughout the 2023-24 regular season, only slightly down from the 24.6 he posted two years prior and up a bit from what he produced in only 29 games in 2022-23. 

Losing fan favorites Randle and even DiVincenzo might be a tough pill to swallow for Knicks fans, but Towns could be an even better co-star for Brunson. 

Towns is an All-Star caliber talent willing to do the dirty work. He can have an impact without the ball in his hands and is an efficient enough shooter to be able to take advantage of however many shots he gets in a given game. He's coming off a season in which he posted a 50.4 field goal percentage in 62 games.

In addition to what he will provide on the court, Towns will be a veteran leader for the locker room who brings a hunger to win; it took him until Year 9 before he experienced the second round of the playoffs. He even played for Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau before, so Thibs' tough coaching style won't come as a surprise. 

The move to add Towns and create a new "Big Three" in New York shows the Knicks are serious and are willing to shake things up in an effort to take that next step as a franchise. 

New York is coming off a second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers and will be shooting for more this year. The Knicks will try to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 and the NBA Finals for the first time this century. And, perhaps, with Towns they could even end the franchise's 51-year NBA title drought.