Karl-Anthony Towns is, unsurprisingly, the talk of the town. It was a completely unexpected move from the Knicks – a theme the ‘Big Apple’ has embraced since the offseason. Just think of the blockbuster Mikal Bridges trade. But the other side of the matter is that it has effectively put them as a serious championship contender for 2024-25. More pointedly, though, a direct threat to their Eastern Conference rival and reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics. However, the said team’s head honcho seems least bothered by the ongoing preparations.

Joe Mazzulla, in his presser before their trip to Abu Dhabi for the preseason games, looked as indifferent as possible without coming off as disrespectful. And when Justin Turpin of WEEI 97.3 FM asked what he thought of the shocking deal, he had the most Mazzulla-like response.

“All teams are trying to make roster moves to get better. Karl-Anthony Towns is a great player and they are a great team. We’ve gotta focus on us and we’ve gotta get better every day.” The man eats, breathes, and lives Celtics.

Last season, Boston and New York finished as the first and second seed, respectively. And although Jalen Brunson and Co. battled hard to make a deep playoff run, they had to eventually accept defeat at the hands of the Pacers in the semi-finals. Needless to say, James Dolan did not want to leave any stone unturned for the upcoming season. And the first step was to lock their franchise lynchpin Brunson at MSG for the foreseeable future.

That said, another Celtics member seems to be genuinely happy for the Knicks on their latest acquisition.

Al Horford echoes coach’s praise for Karl-Anthony Towns

The Celtics veteran had a warmer approach to the news about KAT’s move to the ‘Empire State,’ who, by the way, is still stuck at “…”. Talking to the press after practice, Horford praised Towns while commending the Knicks for getting the Wolves star center. “Karl is a great player. It’s going to be good for them. He does a lot of things on the floor.”

He sure does. In addition to our above point, the next step for NYC was to create a contending team around their star guard. Of course, with the addition of Bridges, the ‘Villanova Knicks’ had come full circle. However, Donte DiVincenzo’s move as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade put an end to that. But the addition of the 7-footer was just what they needed to fill the gaping hole left by Isaiah Hartenstein.

Of course, they had Mitchell Robinson and Julius Randle, who managed the responsibilities between them. However, injuries and particularly, the large contract of Randle was something the Knickerbockers, who are already over the first apron and tethering close to the second, could do without. Although we are yet to have any confirmation about Robinson, Julius Randle will be rocking a Wolves jersey in 2024.

It will definitely be interesting to see how the whole thing progresses. Anyway, keep checking this space for more updates!