Knicks Criticized For Karl-Anthony Towns Trade

Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't have unanimous support with the New York Knicks.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after makes a three point basket during the first half against the Utah Jazz. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It's been nearly a year since the New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft spent his first nine seasons with the Wolves, making it to the Western Conference Finals in his final season with the team before the blockbuster trade.

While the Knicks and Wolves both made it back to the Conference Finals this season, Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes gave New York a "C-" as he graded the trade a year later.

"Last season, the Knicks posted a plus-5.2 net rating with a 119.5 offensive rating overall, and both numbers were markedly better when Towns shared the floor with [Jalen] Brunson...right up until the playoffs. Against dialed-in opponents, the modest in-season synergy between the Knicks' top two offensive players nearly disappeared while the defense got even worse. Teams spammed pick-and-roll sets those two couldn't cover, exposing a concerning postseason frailty," Hughes wrote.

"Towns and Brunson, together, didn't add up to more than the sum of their parts. New York was better with one or the other playing solo in the postseason than it was with both sharing the floor."

"Towns' deal—which pays him $53.1 million next year, $57.1 million in 2026-27 and $61 million in 2027-28—might now be among the hardest to move in the league."

The Knicks need Towns and Brunson to be the dynamic duo that leads them to a victory because they have a lot invested in them as a pair both financially and in terms of the machination of the team.

Towns still has three years left on his contract, so that's how long the Knicks have to get it right. By the time his contract is up, Brunson could be past his prime.

The Knicks need Towns to perform better in order to make the trade worth their while.

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