But since the trade has not officially been finalized yet, the Knicks were not allowed to talk about it at the NBA 's media day. Multiple players, and the team's head coach, Tom Thibodeau, dodged questions regarding Towns and the players traded for him.

Towns is a proven superstar on the offensive end. But his shortcomings will also be scrutinized in the pressure cooker of NYC.

Julius Randle said goodbye to New York with a simple message Sunday night. “NEW YORK! THANK YOU,” Randle wrote in a post on Instagram, along with a photo of him playing at the Garden, just days after news broke of the blockbuster deal that is sending the forward out of town for star Karl-Anthony Towns.