New York Knicks updated depth chart after landing Karl-Anthony Towns and parting ways with 2 star players

Karl-Anthony Towns is officially a New York Knick. The franchise pulled off another blockbuster trade just days before their media day. In a bold move that sent the NBA into a tizzy, the Knicks shipped Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick via the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Towns.

According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Charlotte Hornets are the third team involved in the trade. The Knicks are sending salary, DaQuan Jeffries and draft compensation to the Hornets in return.

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New York Knicks updated depth chart after landing Karl-Anthony Towns

Here's the updated depth chart for the Knicks after trading for Towns.

Position	Starting Unit	2nd	3rd
PG	Jalen Brunson	Miles McBride	Cameron Payne
SG	Mikal Bridges	Cameron Payne	Tyler Kolek
SF	OG Anunoby	Josh Hart	Mikal Bridges
PF	Josh Hart	Precious Achiuwa	Marcus Morris Sr.
C	Karl-Anthony Towns	Mitchell Robinson	Jericho Sims

The move cements the Knicks as legitimate title contenders after they bolstered their frontcourt with Mikal Bridges earlier this summer.

Towns, one of the more prolific scoring centers in the league, could be a better fit than Randle as he widens the floor for the Knicks on the offensive end. His defensive weaknesses could be masked once NY gets a healthy Mitchell Robinson back in the fold.

Towns had an impressive season with the T-Wolves, averaging 21.8 points on 50.4 percent shooting and recording 8.3 rebounds per game in 62 starts. His four-year, $224.2 million extension signed in July 2022 begins next season.

Brunson and Bridges will form the backcourt while Anunoby and Josh Hart take over forward duties. Towns comes in as their bruising big more than capable of making an impact on both ends of the floor.

The Knicks are now a formidable team on offense and are a bonafide powerhouse in the East. Their front office has had a busy offseason building around Brunson and they put the wheels in motion last season by adding OG Anunoby in a midseason deal with the Toronto Raptors. The defense-first forward signed a long-term deal after the team roped in Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets.

Only time will tell if New York and Karl-Anthony Towns can achieve their objective of an NBA title with less than a month to go for the 2024-25 NBA season to tip off.