Report: Knicks Trade for Karl-Anthony Towns

It did not take long for the New York Knicks to fill in the gap at center while Mitchell Robinson is out, hoisting themselves back among the Eastern Conference trees that are the Sixers and the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks landed Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster trade late Friday night, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

New York is sending out All-Star forward Julius Randle, forward Keita Bates-Diop, shooting guards Donte DiVincenzo and DaQuan Jeffries and draft capital in the three-team trade involving the Charlotte Hornets.

At first glance, it's a major injection of talent for New York. Towns has more personal accolades than Isaiah Hartenstein and Robinson have, combined. The Knicks end the offseason with not one but two blockbuster trades. The names on the backs of the jerseys might have enough equity to catapult them over the Sixers in the east.

At second glance, it's not as rosy for New York as it first seemed.

The floor spacing should improve dramatically, changing the calculus for the likes of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges on a possession-to-possession basis. 

Towns is amongst the best shooting bigs ever. But, that's both a gift and a curse for the Knicks.

Sure, it presents all kinds of interesting real-time decisions on the floor with Towns popping out to the perimeter instead of dragging helpers into driving lanes. But, popping to the perimeter also takes the biggest guy in the lineup away from the rim.

As such, it's no wonder Towns has ranked among the worst bigs in the league at offensive rebounding rate on missed field goals, per Cleaning The Glass (CTG). It's hard to be a menace on the offensive boards if you're behind the three-point line when the shot goes up.

He's a fine defensive rebounder. But, New York's problem was never going to be on the defensive end of the floor.

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The identity that carries their offense is the second-chance scoring. Towns' shooting strengthens their first-shot offense. But, being a three-point marksman first and foremost is inherently volatile. What is he doing when shots aren't falling?

Towns' assist rate is good. His box-score assist numbers are uninspiring. Perhaps he can make up some of the connective play that Hartenstein provided. Although, his modus operandi has always trended more toward harebrained decision-making than brilliant problem-solving. After all, he was literally benched during his own 62-point game last season because of his decision-making.

The Knicks added talent, they subtracted chemistry and bought-in role play. They filled their need at center, but they did nothing to replace the identity that they lost with Hartenstein and will miss while Robinson is out.

If you're a Knicks fan, you get it. But, it's not difficult to understand why you might not love it. 

If you're Philadelphia, you look at the Knicks and give a respectful nod. But, by no means are you shaking in your boots.