Did I just read this right? Townes to Knicks??

THE KNICKS BAFFLING TRADE FOR KAT IS LOOKING WORSE BY THE THE DAY:

Just a short time ago, the New York Knicks were the laughingstock of the NBA. In 2019, the Knicks were coming off a season that saw them end with the worst record in the NBA and not end up with the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
They then struck out on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in that year’s free agency, as both opted to sign with the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets. Instead, they left free agency with Julius Randle as their biggest signing.

Two years later, Randle became an All-NBA player that led the Knicks to the fourth seed in the East. Two years after that, he was an All-NBA talent once again and alongside Jalen Brunson, led the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs.
Now, as we enter the 2024-25 season, Randle is now part of a huge blockbuster trade that sends him and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl Anthony-Towns. It’s the second major move of the offseason for the Knicks, as they acquired Mikal Bridges earlier in the summer.
The New York Knicks mistaken went all-in on Karl-Anthony Towns.
In a perfect world, this trade makes a lot of sense. Adding an elite shooting big man like Towns next to a dynamic playmaker and scorer in Brunson makes the Knicks offense elite. The spacing between Towns, Anunoby, and Bridges gives Brunson even more room to operate. Towns has shot over 40 percent from three-point range for a full season five times in his career. He brings an element of offense that the Knicks haven’t had.

The problem is that this is not a perfect world and Towns has his flaws that could be detrimental to the Knicks. He is not consistently good on the defensive end of the floor, sometimes committing head-scratching fouls or having mental lapses that are hard to explain. Coming to a team that is dedicated to being an elite defensive team and a head coach in Tom Thibodeau who has zero tolerance for defensive ineptitude, will Towns be able to flip the switch?
In addition to that, Towns’ four year, $224 million extension is set to kick in this season. He will be making $49 million this season and his salary increases every year, including a $62 million player option in 2027 that he almost certainly won’t decline.
The Knicks may have just ruined a perfectly good offseason.
New York is taking on a huge financial commitment and despite Brunson’s generous pay cut, will still have to deal with managing their salary cap and not falling into the second apron. Bridges is also due for an extension next offseason, so the Knicks payroll will be high.

Towns also has an extensive injury history, especially when it comes to his lower body. In the last five seasons, KAT has only played over 60 games twice. Last year, he missed over a month due to a knee injury. The season before, he missed multiple months due to a calf injury.
He isn’t getting any younger either and will enter his 30s during this extension. With Thibodeau’s notorious love for playing his starters heavy minutes, will Towns be able to handle the workload?
As for what the Knicks loss, losing Randle is not the worst thing in the world. From a basketball standpoint, Towns is a better fit due to his ability to space the floor and not be a ball stopper. He allows for more free flowing offense than Randle does.

Losing DiVincenzo though is a huge loss, especially with the shooting he provides on the wing. He just made 283 three-pointers last year and was the Knicks’ second leading scorer in the postseason. New York now has a thin bench and given the injury history of Anunoby, losing a wing piece like DiVincenzo could hurt even more.
It seems that the Knicks were a little too desperate to fix their center spot, when they potentially could have waited for a cheaper solution than Towns. New York made their move. But was it the right one?

Latest Knicks intel adds a baffling layer to the Karl-Anthony
The New York Knicks were little more than 3 weeks away from starting the 2024-25 season and already appeared to be the second-best team in the Eastern Conference when they shocked the NBA world. They make an out-of-nowhere deal for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The move received a mixed response from fans who questioned whether it was worth giving up an all-star and another key rotation player for Towns, who is owed more than $200 million over the next four years. Considering his fit, the Knicks' acquisition of Towns was already questionable, but a report by ESPN's Brian Windhorst leads to more questions about how it will all work.
According to Windhorst, Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson, who was expected to be out until December, may have an open-ended timetable to make his debut. That would be a huge blow for the Knicks, who don't have a proven backup center on their roster at the moment, which might mean that Towns starts this season at the five.
The latest New York Knicks intel adds a baffling layer to the Karl-Anthony Towns trade.
No one doubts Towns' talent; he is one of the more skilled offensive players in the NBA but he is considered to be a poor defender. So much so that the Timberwolves gave up five first-round picks to be able to pair him with then-three-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert.
Putting Towns on the Knicks and possibly having him play center might allow New York to light up the scoreboard but they are sure to be lit up as well. Perhaps there is another move coming with New York being rumored to be interested in acquiring Charlotte's starting center. In that case, the move may make more sense but Towns playing center for long stretches seems like a recipe for disaster.
One could argue that New York playing Randle at center, which was their intention, would be equally as bad but they at least would have had more depth and perimeter defense with Donte DiVincenzo in the second unit.
Ultimately, the move to acquire Towns was a big gamble, more so with the news that Robinson might be out indefinitely. If he is them, the Knicks will need to make another move to add a stopgap big man to ensure that Towns isn't forced to play the five.

dboss,

I went to Prime.  Do they have an annual, one-time number or just the subscription?  It shows $7.49 for 3 months and then $14.99/mo after that.  Or does it go every month for the whole year?  In other words, do they hit you for those summer months with no action going on? 

I'd much rather pay it all at once and be done with it.  At my age, anything monthly reminds me of a bill...mortgage, car payment.  I'm too old for that %$^@^!  Days away from kicking our last debt, the ol' mortgage, to the curb!  My wife's even going to take off work for it! 

YT is showing $109 for season but the headache.  I'll go for Prime if it's close.    

Thank you, sir!

db