The New York Knicks made a shocking decision to trade away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo this past offseason after back-to-back Conference Semi-Finals appearances. They brought in Karl-Anthony Towns with the hopes that this could elevate their offense and push them into the true contending category. After falling short to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals this year, could a similar shakeup be in store?
It took seemingly minutes after the Knicks were officially eliminated from playoff contention for a deep dive written by Fred Katz and James L. Edwards III to drop on The Athletic. The article peeled back the curtain of some locker room turmoil, revealing some players’ only meetings, frustration with roles, and plenty about Karl-Anthony Towns.
One portion read, “Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies,” Edwards and Katz wrote. “Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits — less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”
Oftentimes in the NBA, where there is smoke there is also fire. New York showed their hand in not being satisfied by the deepest playoff run in 25 years by firing Tom Thibodeau after what must be considered a wildly successful season by any realistic measures.
What are the Chances Karl-Anthony Towns is Traded?
Financials are the first thing to consider when looking at the framework of NBA trades. This has become increasingly true with the new CBA in full effect, and this summer is looking to serve as the tipping point for its ramifications for plenty of teams.
Karl-Anthony Towns has three years remaining on his contract, with the final season a player option. The former number one overall pick is due $53.1 million next year, $57 million in 2026-27, and a $61 million player option the following season. Towns also holds a 10% trade kicker. These large financial figures and the 35.0% of the salary cap that Towns took up this season were, at least partially, a driving force for Minnesota electing to move the five-time All-Star.
The Knicks have plenty of money committed to their core and will have some financial questions to answer down the line. But they managed to duck the second apron for the second straight season, largely thanks to Jalen Brunson’s willingness to take a below-market contract. If you assume New York would be willing to spend above the second apron for two consecutive years, which is the maximum amount of time before a franchise is punished by having its first-round pick drop to the bottom of the round, theoretically, the Knicks could keep this starting five together for four seasons.
There is also a case to be made that this type of dollar figure could be advantageous in some of the trade frameworks that will begin to be proposed. The NBA has strict trade rules that require balancing salaries and have been further complicated by the restrictions brought on by the new CBA. One effect that will become increasingly common moving forward is that it will be necessary for a third team to be involved to help facilitate deals. This was seen in the first Towns trade with the Charlotte Hornets adding a few draft picks and the necessary salaries to make this work.
Moving Towns’ salary is not the easiest task, but it is possible. The answer to this is likely dependent on feelings inside the building and how significant the doubts regarding Towns are. The Knicks had built their identity as a defensive-minded team and sacrificed this with his addition. Having both Jalen Brunson and Towns on the floor provided two players to target defensively for opponents in a postseason setting, and this issue was put on display. Across the 18-game playoff run, the two stars posted a -2.9 net rating when sharing the floor and were -6.9 in the 146 minutes they played in the Conference Finals. A decision this large should not be based on this small a sample size, but the eye test matched the numbers in the postseason setting.
Possible KAT Landing Spots:
The other difficult part of the conversation is finding an upgrade for Karl-Anthony Towns. He has his flaws as a basketball player, but is coming off a season in which he averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, earning his way onto the All-NBA 3rd team. Jayson Tatum’s injury and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future only solidify that the East will be more open than ever next season, and the Knicks were two wins away from going to the NBA Finals this year.
But there have been plenty of whispers about some big-name stars seeking new destinations this offseason. The financial implications of the CBA I alluded to above will force some teams to make some tough decisions, which New York is in play to pounce on this type of opportunity.
Karl-Anthony Towns to Milwaukee
If there is any player of the caliber of talent that would motivate the Knicks to make this type of move, it would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. Set to turn 31 next season, Antetokounmpo has two MVPs to his name and an NBA championship ring already on his finger. Despite this, you could make the case that he is coming off his best individual season, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60.1% from the floor.
Damian Lillard’s torn Achilles in the playoffs may have closed the door on the window to win in Milwaukee, and this feels the most legitimate chance he leaves the franchise. The biggest hurdle to clear here would be getting the Bucks to sign off on this. They are in a difficult spot as a franchise with plenty of draft capital burned on win-now moves and set for a rebuild if Antetokounmpo is to leave. The pathway to a legal financial trade is there, and expect New York to make the phone call, but the Bucks hold all the cards in this negotiation.
Karl-Anthony Towns to Phoenix
If there is a leader in the clubhouse for Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade destination, it is the Suns. Phoenix finds itself in an incredibly difficult financial spot and has gone all-in on its star-studded core. They seemed to give legitimate consideration to moving on from Kevin Durant at the trade deadline and are expected to explore this again this offseason. Durant is due $54.7 million next year and is heading into the final year of his contract. This is a bit of a concern at age 36, but the 15-time All-Star still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season while shooting 43.0% from beyond the three-point arc. Durant’s ability to score in the halfcourt would be beneficial to this Knicks team, and, even at this age, he is a better defender than what Towns brings to the table.
In addition, many have connected the dots to Towns’ relationship with Devin Booker. The two stars have had a friendship dating back to their youth and spent their lone season of college at Kentucky together. Booker continues to be viewed as the face of the franchise and will be playing under his seventh coach next season in Phoenix. He was active in the head coaching search, giving the stamp of approval to Jordan Ott. The financial spot both teams are in makes this a possibility, but there are hoops to jump through, and this would narrow the Knicks’ window fairly notably.
Karl-Anthony Towns to Detroit
The Detroit Pistons just finished one of the most impressive year-to-year improvements in NBA history and arrived on the playoff scene. After winning just 14 games last year, the Pistons went 44-38 this season. They earned the sixth seed in the playoffs and pushed Towns and this Knicks team to six games in the opening round of the playoffs. Cade Cunningham made his rise to the All-NBA Third team this season and is ready to win now. But there are still questions about the supporting cast, and the lack of offensive options proved the team’s demise this season.
Taking a swing in trading for Towns would accelerate Detroit’s timeline with their youthful core. But with the East wide open and the Pistons impressing, they should be viewed as a dark horse. The pathway to matching salaries is difficult, but possible if both sides want it to happen badly enough.
Karl-Anthony Towns to San Antonio
The Spurs very well may be the most interesting team across the NBA this offseason. Victor Wembanyama is just 21 years old, and Stephon Castle followed in his footsteps by winning Rookie of the Year last season. They leaped up to the second pick in the NBA Draft and are in a prime position to add another piece to their young core.
However, San Antonio also showed their hand in wanting to transition into win-now territory by trading for De’Aaron Fox this season. If Wembanyama had not been shut down for the season due to his blood clot issue, the Spurs were in a spot to make a playoff push. They have the assets to make a big trade happen, and Wembanyama is the exact type of defensive cover that Towns needs to succeed. While he is still in the early stages of his career, Wembanyama has arrived and already deserves mention among the most impactful two-way players in the league. How the Spurs elect to play things moving forward will have a domino effect around the league, and Towns is an interesting name to keep in mind.
Karl-Anthony Towns to Golden State
The Golden State Warriors made an all-in move, trading for Jimmy Butler midseason and showing they are not done attempting to win with Steph Curry just yet. If it were not for Curry’s hamstring injury in the postseason, there likely would be a very different tone in the success of this move. The numbers were off the charts following Butler’s addition, but they were eliminated in the second round with Curry limited to just 12:54 of game time against the Timberwolves before elimination. Could they have one more rabbit up their sleeve?
It would require involving Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green, but Steve Kerr could unlock Towns offensively in a way that did not prove true in New York. If New York wants to double down on their defensive approach, both of these players are interesting names to bring into the mix. The talent level in the West is incredibly deep, and Golden State must measure this as they look ahead. This would be a big swing, but the Warriors are a team that has not been mentioned much and could make some sense.
The Knicks 2026 Outlook:
There are far more questions than answers regarding this Knicks team. Despite coming off their best season in 25 years, the organization is clearly not satisfied. Whatever is to come next will surely shape these odds, but the Knicks currently hold +800 odds of winning next year’s championship on DraftKings Sportsbook, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
