The New York Knicks are having to adjust on the fly as they acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves just days before the start of

It hit Karl-Anthony Towns at the cookout. The Dominican side of the family, his mother’s side, was hosting the gathering in Perth Amboy, N.J. — a weekend tradition of Towns’ youth that the Knicks center missed while embarking on an NBA All-Star career.

There was always a good relationship between Towns and Edwards, even as Edwards became the organization’s top priority in recent seasons, taking a spot Towns had held since the team took him No. 1 overall in 2015. Their relationship never faltered in the face of outside chatter that might have driven other teammates apart.