It’s safe to say the NBA has experienced its fair share of high-profile trades. Who could forget when the Brooklyn Nets mortgaged their future for Paul Pierce and an aging Kevin Garnett? Or when the Lakers went all in on Anthony Davis and shipped out a treasure trove of young talent? These moves reshaped the league’s landscape. Now Charles Barkley has shared his positive comment regarding the recent Karl-Anthony Towns trade.

On the recent episode of the Throwbacks podcast, one of the hosts asked for Barkley’s thoughts on the trade that sent Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the New York Knicks. The 61-year-old didn’t hold back in responding to that. “Love the trade for the Knicks. Hey don’t like it, love it. Let me tell you something, they had to do something. Something they were not gonna beat the Knicks, excuse me, they were not gonna beat the Celtics and when Paul George went to Philly, probably they were not gonna beat the 76ers,” Barkley said during the podcast.

Barkley says that Towns is the missing piece of the Knicks’ puzzle, a player that would just put the Knicks over some of the top Eastern Conference rivals such as the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers. And why would he not be? At age 28, he’s had four All-Star appearances and made twice to an All-NBA team. Last season also he had a pretty good stat line as he scored 21.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG.

But what was the concern of the 8x NBA All-Star? In a previous podcast, Dwight Howard suggested that if the Knicks had added JaVale McGee to their roster, they would have earned a key player. “If the Knicks add Javale they winning a chip he a 3X champion,” wrote Howard as the caption of one of his X posts.

The Knicks’ acquisition of Towns is not just about adding a talented big man to their roster. But the goal was really to address specific weaknesses to create mismatches that could make or break the scales for them. He could potentially create driving lanes for Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to attack and his versatility could bring interior defense to a Knicks squad that has yet to have it.

One thing is certain: the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns has thrust the New York Knicks into the spotlight and whether they shine or stumble under this increased scrutiny remains to be seen. However, did you know about the details of Towns trade?

More on Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade to the New York Knicks

New York Knicks in the NBA off-season chose to make the big move to get the All-Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns, by way of a three-team trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets.

The Knicks received Towns from the Timberwolves and the Draft rights to James Nnaji from the Hornets. The Timberwolves got Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and Keita Bates Diop from the Knicks, while the Hornets got DaQuan Jeffries and Duane Washington Jr. from the Knicks.

The center, 28, even shared on his X how grateful he is for the team he’s spent nine years with. “Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and the entire Timberwolves organization for the countless opportunities and experiences. I’ll cherish the friendships I’ve made and the battles we’ve fought together,” wrote Towns in the caption

Knicks believe that this young center can help take the team to the next level, and bring the Knicks even closer to a title. The Knicks have built a good core of players around things like Jalen Brunson, who can be a power player in the Eastern Conference. Time will tell what this trade will lead to.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.