Grading Knicks-Timberwolves Trade That Swaps Karl-Anthony Towns, Julius Randle

After losing Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson (at least for the start of the season) to injury, the Knicks were in dire need of a center. Unclogging a forward rotation that includes Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby would be nice, too.

Friday, New York checked both those boxes, while adding an All-Star in the process.

Towns feels like a near perfect No. 2 option alongside Jalen Brunson. The diminutive guard thrives in getting through tight spaces and into the paint, and Towns’ shooting will make that even easier for him.

The self-proclaimed best shooting big of all time really is a dynamic weapon from beyond the arc. Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, he’s hit 40.4 percent of his threes, while attempting 5.1 per game. Opposing centers are forced to follow him to the perimeter, or he’ll pour in points from the outside. That, of course, will leave the paint exposed for Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby and Josh Hart to attack.