Knicks Land ‘Home Run’ Praise for Karl-Anthony Towns Move

The New York Knicks are taking a big swing by acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop and a future first-round pick.

Even though the timing of the deal is very sudden in the days leading up to training camp, the Knicks still hope to gain the most value possible from the trade.

CBS Sports writer Brad Botkin calls the Knicks’ trade a “home run.”

“Four years in the NBA is an eternity, and that’s what makes this Towns acquisition, at this specific moment, such a home run,” Botkin writes. “The basketball fit is irrefutably perfect, but it also affords the Knicks the most precious of luxuries: time. They don’t have to win the whole thing next season. They might not ever win a championship with this group. If they don’t, that won’t make this decision to go all-in on Towns any less wise. It’s not that black and white. You need some luck in the roster-building phase, and then you need some more luck on the court, too. First, we’ll see if they can stay healthy. After that, there are a lot of other really good teams, too.”

While the Knicks are being judged for this move before any basketball is played, the true measurement of success in the deal is whether or not the Knicks win a championship. In some ways, it’s a pass/fail grade. If the Knicks are successful and win a championship with this group, they pass with flying colors because they achieve their ultimate goal. However, if they fall short within the four years of Towns’ deal, then this is just a big pop fly that looks like a home run but is really just another out.

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