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The New York Knicks' season may have come to an abrupt end at the hands of the Miami Heat, but that doesn't mean this year wasn't a success. After failing to make the playoffs in 2022, Tom Thibodeau and his team defied the odds to make the Eastern Conference semifinals.
However, New York is a city that runs on star talent, and currently, the Knicks roster is lacking in that department. As such, Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes has proposed a trade that would send All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knickerbockers.
The trade proposal looks like this:
Knicks get: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves get: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, 2024 first-round pick (via Washington), and a 2024 first-round pick (via Detroit)
"The Wolves are Anthony Edwards' team, and they can't trade Rudy Gobert for positive value. That leaves Towns as the only semi-movable piece," Hughes wrote. "Plus, Towns is a CAA client with roots in New Jersey, two factors that make the Knicks an obvious landing spot."
Karl-Anthony Towns continues to prove himself as one of the best big men in the NBA but has yet to taste deep playoff success. During the Timberwolves' lone playoff series this year, Karl-Anthony Towns averaged 18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 45.7% from the field but just 25% from the perimeter.
The notion of adding Towns to a New York Knicks core that already boasts Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson is an exciting one, as that could give the Knicks the firepower they need to become genuine contenders in the East.
Knicks 'always coming up' in Karl-Anthony Towns talks
According to an Eastern Conference executive, who spoke with Heavy on Sports' Sean Deveney under anonymity, Towns' links with New Jersey make the Knicks a likely trade partner.
“You can still sell high on Towns even though it was not a great year for him,” the executive said “He’s signed. He’s still young (27). And he’s good. But you need to have a tougher team around him, and you want him in a comfort zone.
"That is why the Knicks are always coming up—he is from Jersey, he has a base there. And personnel-wise, it would be a good mix. Everyone knows the connections there, everyone knows there is an interest.”
This season, the New York Knicks developed a reputation for being a tough, defensive-minded team. As such, Towns could potentially thrive in their system, especially when operating as a rim protector in drop coverage, with the Knicks' wings and guards funneling ball handlers toward him.
Of course, Towns would also take the Knicks' offense to another level. Brunson would get an elite pick-and-roll partner, while Julius Randle would have another big body to help take some of the offensive load off his shoulders. So, if the Knicks are genuinely looking to add another star to their core, Karl-Anthony Towns should be high on their list of trade targets.
