NBA Legend Praises Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

The New York Knicks’ bartering has been approved by Charles Barkley.

While undoubtedly adding hype to an already pressure-packed season, the Knicks adding Karl-Anthony Towns to their fold has drawn a polarizing reaction from fans and analysts alike.

Towns undeniably solves any issues the Knicks were having at the top of their interior depth chart but it came at a big price, as a package headlined by Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in return.

But one legend of the interior approves the arrival of another, as former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley voiced his approval on the web series “Throwbacks.”

“Love the trade for the Knicks. Don’t like it, love it,” Barkley said, much to the delight of “Throwbacks” co-host/”Entourage star/celebrity Knicks fan Jerry Ferrara. “They had to do something … they were not going to beat the (Boston) Celtics and when Paul George went to (Philadelphia) they probably were not going to beat the 76ers … The (Indiana) Pacers are just as good or better.”

Prior to the trade, New York was set to mostly run it back with last year’s group that won 50 games and the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. But one of their most notable departures, Isaiah Hartenstein, left a sizable void in Manhattan both literally and figuratively, as the Knicks’ five spot sorely lacked an experienced name with Mitchell Robinson still ailing from ankle injuries.

Towns more than satisfies those needs and it has won over Barkley, who admits to being a bit wary due to his status as a 76er legend.

“There’s a different energy in sports when New York teams do well,” Barkley said, saying he was “really proud” of the Knicks for making a groundbreaking move after several years of hoarding assets.

Towns will get a chance to strut his stuff against the Sixers on Nov. 12 when NBA Cup play opens up on Nov. 12. In the meantime, he’ll face his former employers in a Sunday preseason game a MSG (6 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN).

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