Does the Karl-Anthony trade make Town Knicks a championship contender?

The Knicks are fully committed. After landing Karl-Anthony Cities In a surprise blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York is all in for championship contention.

After the acquisition of Towns and Mikal Bridges in the offseason, New York’s cupboard is nearly empty. The core has been set. Jalen Brunson is the star of the team with Towns as a complementary star. Bridges and OG Anunoby are complementary two-way wings. Being on the edge Jos HarT, Miles McBride and often injured centre Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks gave up a significant amount of money to acquire Towns. Julius Randle was a three-time All-Star. Donte DiVincenzo broke the club’s franchise record for three-pointers in a season. The first-round pick that New York sent to Minnesota over Detroit could have some value if the Pistons become a playoff team in the coming years.

The trade for Towns is really about Brunson. The partnership between Brunson and Randle never felt symbiotic, despite both players finding good balance just before Randle’s season-ending shoulder injury in January.

They had a ‘your turn, my turn’ style of play when they were on the ground together. Randle rarely screened for Brunson, in part because the Knicks always had a center clogging the paint.

But Brunson and Towns should be the Knicks offense together. Towns’ three-point shooting is dangerous and should give Brunson opportunities to attack in space.

The seven-footer is shooting just under 40 percent from three for his career and shot 41.6 percent from three on 327 attempts last season. When teams switch pick-and-rolls, Towns can mash smaller defenders into the post, face-up and offensive line drives.

Towns’ presence should also provide opportunities for New York’s other players. Anunoby and Bridges are two of the best 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.

Mistakes and all that

Towns has his flaws. Although he returned late in the regular season, he is undergoing meniscus surgery on his left knee. He has missed 20 or more games in four seasons over the past five years.

The defense of the cities has also always been a question. While Towns has made some improvements as a defender, most of the growth has been with great defenders like Rudy Gobert And Jaden McDaniels cover up his weaknesses.

The Knicks have Bridges, Anunoby, Hart and McBride as quality perimeter defenders, which should put less pressure on Towns to have to hide everything in the paint.

By moving from Randle to Towns, the Knicks have been downgraded in one area: playmaking. For all of Randle’s warts, he averaged five assists per night last season and averaged at least four dimes over the past four seasons. Towns has improved as a passer, but he still has a penchant for foolish decisions and wild offensive mistakes.

Furthermore, including DiVincenzo in the deal weakens New York’s depth. His three-point shooting became a real weapon and he is a versatile two-guard who excels in many facets of the game.

To expect Jos Hart for starters, though the Knicks could eventually play Towns and Robinson together in a two-center lineup if Robinson returns. New York’s bench is thinner and one or more injuries are a lot more difficult for the club to deal with.

But this trade is worth the risk. The New York formula for winning in recent years Tom Thibodeau has been an offensive rebound. Creating extra possessions has 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 first-round wins in 2024 and 2023.

Adding cities changes that equation. With his ability to spread the floor, Towns won’t float around the offensive glass like Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein And Nerlens Noel have done in the past. But to build a true title contender, New York had to build a half-court offense with better spacing and better shooting.

To do that, the Knicks sacrificed a lot. In making this trade, New York’s bottom is a lot worse. Injuries and potential defensive issues can short-circuit a season. But after the trade, the team’s ceiling is higher. And while the franchise appears to be battling for a championship, the addition of Towns gives them a realistic path to contention.