Three ways Karl-Anthony Towns improves the Knicks

The New York Knicks swung for the fences on Friday night, reportedly striking a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves to send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Big Apple .

New York had been rumored to hold an interest in Towns for over a year and has finally landed one of its primary trade targets.

Over the last 12 months, the Knicks have acquired OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Towns. As a result, they now have a roster capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Boston Celtics.

Here are three ways Towns' arrival will improve Tom Thibodeau's team:

Floor spacing

Jalen Brunson is the Knicks' primary offensive option. He's at his best when driving into the teeth of a defense, forcing rotations and attacking the gaps to create for others or himself. He averaged 19.5 drives per game last season, making an assist 9.2% of the time.

Towns is a legitimate floor-spacing five. He shot 41.6% from the perimeter last season on 5.3 attempts per game. By having Towns in the rotation, New York's spacing will be vastly improved, which will provide Brunson with higher-quality driving opportunities and could lessen his resistance when penetrating the dribble.

Anunoby, Bridges and Josh Hart are others who may benefit from the additional spacing, too. They utilize their skillsets as on-ball and off-ball slashes to punish space left in the mid-range.

Rebounding

Towns is an elite rebounder. Before Rudy Gobert joined the Timberwolves, Towns averaged double-digits on the boards year after year. He's averaging 10.8 rebounds per game for his career, with 2.8 of them coming on the offensive glass, which could be huge to a Knicks team that likes to control the tempo and force teams into a slugfest.

By moving to the Knicks, Towns can begin to thrive on the glass again. He won't be sharing the court with another 7-footer, which should allow him to command the paint and give Thibodeau the type of tempo control he craves from his team.

Towns may also find himself rapidly improving as a defensive player as he teams back up with his former coach.

Availability

Towns is essentially a direct replacement for Julius Randle, who struggled with health and availability in last season. Randle missed the Knicks' playoff push due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. New York's championship window is wide open. It couldn't risk the fate of its season on Randle by hoping that his surgically repaired shoulder can hold up throughout the season.

By acquiring Towns, the Knicks are banking on the veteran big man continuing his strong track record of being healthy throughout a season. His size and physicality will also give them hope that his body can hold up to Thibodeau's style of play and the mileage he puts on his players' bodies.

If Towns can remain healthy all season and fit into his new role, New York's decision to trade for him could quickly be vindicated.