Three Reasons Celtics Shouldn’t Sweat Karl-Anthony Towns Trade To Knicks

Over four months ago, the Boston Celtics patiently watched as the New York Knicks crumbled before the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, not worrying about Jalen Brunson or old friend Tom Thibodeau en route to Banner 18. This season, as Joe Mazzulla’s squad defends its title the reigning champions will compete against a new-look team in The Big Apple.

The Knicks acquired four-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns in a surprise blockbuster trade with the Timberwolves, another NBA Finals contender, sending three-time All-Star Julius Randle to Minnesota. Training camp is underway across the league, New York has already added Mikal Bridges and re-signed OG Anunoby and Brunson is coming off the best season of his career — averaging 28.7 points and finishing fifth in MVP voting after leading the Knicks to a No. 2 seed finish in the East. Long story short, New York is all-in on charging after the target attached to Boston’s back.

Still, there’s nothing from Celtics president of basketball operations — the mastermind responsible for the outpour of roster movement in the East this offseason — Brad Stevens should worry about heading into 2024-25.

Here are three reasons why:

1. Julius Randle founded the bulldog mentality that catapulted the Knicks
As Dillion Brooks did for the Memphis Grizzlies and Draymond Green has for the Golden State Warriors, Randle became the core of everything that catapulted the Knicks back to relevancy as a legitimate team not to be overlooked in the East. So…. why sever ties with the heart and soul of the team?

Randle’s contract dispute, albeit fresh off a season-ending surgery to repair a dislocated right shoulder in January, doesn’t warrant what could become an identity-shattering trade. New York’s at its best when Randle leads its bulldog-like charge, crashing the boards, nearly notching a season-long double-double of 24.9 points and 9.2 rebounds. Replacing Randle’s intangibles — a recently added 3-point shot, high-energy motor and tactic leadership — isn’t easy, especially for a team that’s now arriving on the scene in the mix of teams with a shot to come out the East in 2025.

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2. Karl-Anthony Towns was a kitten in the 2023 NBA postseason
When Minnesota selected Towns first overall in the 2015 NBA draft, the then-20-year-old Kentucky product was highly regarded as the future of the Timberwolves.

That lasted about 15 minutes and became abundantly untrue once Anthony Edwards was drafted first overall in 2020 out of Georgia, which highlighted Towns’ shortcomings even brighter as expectations rose in Minnesota. Towns played the modern-day liability big man’s role by relying on the perimeter for scoring (19.1 points in 16 games) and leaving Rudy Gobert stranded to do all the frontcourt dirty work. It became a head-scratcher throughout Minnesota’s playoff run as to why Towns refused to play inside, shooting under 30% from the field for the first three games against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals — all while shooting 22 threes and knocking down three (13.6%).

Towns struggles to adapt and understand what specific situations call for the 28-year-old to bring to the table. Thibodeau, who coached Towns for three seasons (2016-19) with the Timberwolves, knows that from first-hand experience.

3. The Eastern Conference isn’t a tug-of-war between Boston and New York — exclusively
Sure, New York got busy this offseason, however, the Knicks weren’t alone in spending, trading and picking up their front-office phones to assemble a new and improved roster capable of matching the work done by Stevens and Boston.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed Paul George to a four-year, $212 million contract in free agency and retained starting guard Tyrese Maxey on a five-year, $203 million extension, set to pair alongside seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t gone anywhere, the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are on the rise and the Miami Heat always find a way to spark a playoff fire from popsicle sticks.

New York’s path through the East doesn’t start and end with Boston, although the Celtics could be the team to put the Knicks away as long as they don’t collapse like a deck of cards in another win-or-die Game 7.