The New York Knicks might have signed numerous quality veteran free agents this off-season, but they’re far away from being an NBA Finals contending team. Missing out on superstars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hurt their chances of competing this season for a playoff spot, but there are opportunities for potential trades out there.
One big name that could be on the Knicks’ radar this season is Minnesota Timberwolves center, Karl-Anthony Towns. The fifth-year player is one of the leagues more dominant options and recently signed a five-year, $190 million extension.
The Timberwolves haven’t given Towns much support to allow him to thrive, but signing him to a massive extension gave them a sigh of relief after trading Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers. Minnesota likely isn’t hitting the panic button, but they could gain some valuable assets from the Knicks if they’re willing to play ball on a potential deal.
What would make Karl-Anthony Towns attractive for the New York Knicks?
One of the more appealing aspects of Towns is his ability to stay healthy and play maximum minutes. Over four years, he has averaged 34.4 minutes per game on 22.3 points. His rebounding totals are astronomical as well, averaging a total 12.4 rebounds per game.
He has also added a three-point shot to his arsenal, averaging 4.6 attempts and hitting on 1.8 per game. While that number is nothing to write home about, it is one attribute of his game that is important and can be developed further moving forward.
Pairing Karl-Anthony with Mitchell Robinson would make the Knicks one of the best defensive squads in the league immediately and playing two big men while featuring several quality shooters could be a recipe for success. This is all just a hypothetical situation after all, but an exciting and intriguing one, nonetheless.
New York has plenty of draft capital to use if the two teams theoretically engaged in talks. The Knicks own four first-round picks over the next three years, two of which come in 2021. I imagine they would likely have to give up two first-round picks for a player like Towns, but it would be well worth it considering his young age and dominance across-the-board.