For most great NBA teams that come together relatively organically, luck plays a premium role. It’s not a knock. Luck, as they say, is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. You have to do the hard work of putting yourself in a good position.
Look at the 2024 champion Boston Celtics. The Philadelphia 76ers gave them Jayson Tatum so they could draft Markelle Fultz. Then Jrue Holiday fell into their lap as the fallout of the Damian Lillard trade. And then they won the title.
The Golden State Warriors got Stephen Curry because the Timberwolves drafted Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, both point guards, with the two picks immediately preceding Curry’s No. 7 slot in the 2009 draft. Then they were able to sign Curry to a clearance-rack contract because they feared his right ankle was defective. He got the ankle fixed and immediately blew up, and then the Warriors were able to afford Kevin Durant because of Curry’s tiny contract. And then they became arguably the greatest team in history in 2017.
The Denver Nuggets lucked into Nikola Jokic in the second round. The Lakers lucked into LeBron because they play in Los Angeles, and then they got to play for the title in the bubble, where Anthony Davis shot like he has never even come close to shooting again in the friendly depth perceptions of a smaller gym.
The Toronto Raptors were waiting with a one-piece-short team when Kawhi Leonard fell out with the Spurs, and then they still needed probably the luckiest bounce(s) in history and a blown Durant Achilles tendon to win the first and only title in franchise history.
Again, all you can do is put yourself in a good position to strike when the right opportunity presents itself, and then cross your fingers. Which brings us to the New York Knicks, who have done exactly that over a remarkable reset that began with the final chapters of the previous front office regime run by Scott Perry and Steve Mills, who opened up longer-term possibilities with shorter-term commitments, and has ended, for all intents and purposes, with the trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. KAT is the quintessential missing piece to push a good team over the hump to greatness.
In between, they’ve had their share of luck. Knicks fans would say it’s about time after striking out on so many home run swings over the years, but in this case, striking out was the luck. In 2019, they swung at Kyrie Irving and Durant and whiffed. Thank the basketball gods. In 2022, they would’ve been happy, even thrilled to give the Utah Jazz pretty much all the capital they’d spent years acquiring for Donovan Mitchell, but they luckily got outbid by the Cavaliers, who are now the middling playoff team the Knicks would have become with a tiny, defensively vulnerable Mitchell-Jalen Brunson backcourt.
Instead, they just got Brunson … on a $100 million deal that most people, or at least many people, thought was an overpay for a guy who had never been a No. 1 option and likely never would be. Absolutely nobody in good conscience would’ve gone on record saying they thought Brunson would become this good. Maybe an All-Star, but not an MVP-level player. If you end up with that kind of player on that kind of contract, you got lucky. And the Knicks made good use of those savings in building out the roots of this team.
The Brunson bargain continued this summer when he signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension that is not even 60% of the $269.1M he could’ve signed for next summer. He’s eventually going to get his money, having timed this little Robin Hood maneuver to end up a free agent after his 10th year of service in the summer of 2028, when he’ll be eligible for a five-year deal worth north of $400M.
But the lower salary number next season is key for the Knicks, because it keeps them below the dreaded second apron for another season on the clock that is ticking toward draft punishment. Without getting too far in the weeds of the CBA, once a team goes over the second apron it can only go over one more time in the next four years before its draft pick (seven years out from the first year the second apron was exceeded) drops to No. 30.
The Towns contract, combined with the Mikal Bridges extension, for which he’ll be eligible in the summer of 2026, is eventually going to take the Knicks over the second apron, but that’s two years from now, which, in essence, gives the Knicks a four-year window with this roster, rather than three if Brunson’s money was set to balloon next year, before having to duck the second apron again.
Four years in the NBA is an eternity, and that’s what makes this Towns acquisition, at this specific moment, such a home run. 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.
The Knicks have positioned themselves well for success with a core group of players in their late 20s, including Brunson, Towns, Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart. The timing of trading Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns makes sense for both teams involved. Under different circumstances, acquiring Towns may have been a disaster, but with the current lineup, he can thrive in his role without the pressure of being the main offensive threat. The Knicks now have a well-balanced team with star power, defensive prowess, and shooting ability. This move signifies a new era for the Knicks, showcasing their smart decision-making and strategic planning. While there may be risks involved, the timing and fit of Towns with the team make it a move worth taking. Overall, this trade represents a calculated and promising step forward for the Knicks. given sentence as follows:
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