After losing Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency and Mitchell Robinson (at least for the start of the season) to injury, the Knicks were in dire need of a center. It would also be nice to unclog a forward rotation with Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby.

On Friday, New York checked both boxes while adding an All-Star.

Towns feels like a near-perfect No. 2 option next to Jalen Brunson. The small guard thrives on getting through tight spaces and into the paint, and Towns’ shooting will make that even easier for him.

The self-proclaimed all-time shooting great is truly a dynamic weapon from beyond the arc. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, he has hit 40.4 percent of his threes while attempting 5.1 percent per game. Opposing centers are forced to follow him to the perimeter, otherwise he will put in points from the outside. That, of course, will expose the paint for Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby and Josh Hart to attack.