Knicks acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns from Timberwolves in stunning blockbuster

Karl-Anthony Towns is finally a Knick.

After years of flirtations and rumors, the four-time All-Star Towns is being traded from Minnesota to New York after a stunning blockbuster agreement, a source confirmed to The Post.

The Knicks are dealing Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, DaQuan Jeffries and a lottery-protected, first-round pick from the Pistons, a source confirmed.

The Hornets also are involved in the trade, which is complicated by the Knicks and Timberwolves exceeding the luxury tax apron.

A high-ranking league source said the trade has been in the works “for a while.”

The shocker comes as the Knicks desperately need a starting center, having lost Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency and Mitchell Robinson until at least December — and probably longer — as he recovers from ankle surgery.

It’s a risky and expensive gamble on Towns, 28, who still is owed more than $200 million over the next four years.

A league source said the Knicks were attracted to Towns’ fit for several reasons:

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He slots into a core of players all under 30 years old and all tied into long-term contracts.

Towns’ offensive skills, which include elite 3-point shooting for a big man, complement the defensive versatility of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.

He’s a strong defensive rebounder.

He fills the center need with All-Star capabilities.

His acquisition presents a potential starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, Anunoby and Towns — a formidable fivesome to compete with the Celtics for a title.

Still, Towns doesn’t arrive without big concerns.

He’s been frequently injured the past five seasons, criticized for being soft and took eight years to get past the first round of the playoffs.

Towns played 2½ seasons under current Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota.

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The coach and player butted heads, but Towns told The Post last season that they “squashed” their beef in a conversation years ago.

“I got no problems with Thibs. We’ve been squashed that,” Towns said. “I still look at Thibs as one of the best Xs and Os coaches I’ve been able to play for. He breathes winning, and I got nothing but respect for him.”

Thibodeau reciprocated the respect.

“Watching the progress he’s made throughout his career, he’s as gifted as they come,” Thibodeau said last season. “When you look at an offensive player, particularly a big, the skill set that he has, I think we all saw, to win the 3-point contest and stuff like that, there’s nothing he can’t do offensively. He has continued to get better, I think. He had some injuries to deal with. I watched him play in FIBA [the World Cup, for the Dominican Republic]. He played really well there. He’s really, really gifted.”

Towns has been linked to the Knicks ever since Leon Rose — his former agent — took over the front office in 2020. Towns remains a client of CAA, an agency with close ties to the Knicks.

With Randle, the Knicks are trading an All-Star and one of the players most responsible for resuscitating the organization over the past few seasons.

He was a three-time All-Star with New York as the starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.

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Just Wednesday, Randle was part of the groundbreaking ceremony of a high school in the South Bronx.

He had a court named after him.

Now, he’s leaving the city without a contract extension and possibly looking at free agency next summer.

Some people in the Knicks organization viewed Randle as a poor fit next to Brunson as two ball-dominant players.

Towns plays off the ball and spreads the floor to provide Brunson space to drive.

DiVincenzo was a revelation and a fan favorite last season, hitting the franchise’s biggest shot in years — a winning 3-pointer in Game 2 against the Sixers.

He would’ve likely come off the bench for the Knicks this season, and his departure — along with Robinson’s delayed recovery — creates a depth problem if there’s an injury.

Towns, for instance, missed at least 20 games in four of the past five seasons.

He underwent surgery in March to repair a torn meniscus, then played 16 postseason games for the Timberwolves.

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