Proposed Trade Sees Knicks Flip Towns For Championship-Winning Big Man
· Yahoo Sports
The New York Knicks are staring at the harsh realities of the NBA’s second apron. James Dolan has drawn a line in the sand. The Knicks cannot enter second-apron territory. That’s despite the franchise coming off a championship season.
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Karl-Anthony Towns appears to be the first potential casualty of Dolan’s remit. The star big man is due a contract extension worth up to $272 million over four years. With both Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby slowly moving toward their own extension eligibility, the Knicks are in a difficult spot.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Knicks’ preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, October 5, Towns noted that he’s willing to take a discount to help keep the Knicks’ championship roster together, as long as the pay still values his contributions.
“Simply put, I want to do something that can keep the team together and work with the Knicks and also values me,” Towns told reporters. “And none of those things are close to happening.”
Unfortunately, a compromise doesn’t appear to be on the horizon. As such, the Knicks may be forced to begin exploring other options with Towns, including potentially trading him. In a recent Bleacher Report article, Andrew Peters cited the Washington Wizards as a potential landing spot.
With that in mind, a potential trade package could look something like this:
Washington Wizards get: Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacome Dadiet (via Washington’s $5.97 million traded player exception).
New York Knicks get: Anthony Davis
Trading Towns will undoubtedly be a last resort for the Knicks. He showcased how important he is to Mike Brown’s rotation during the team’s run to a championship last season. However, if a trade is the only option available, Davis could make sense and would be one of the better replacement players.
Knicks Want Towns To Take Sizeable Discount
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, speaking to NBA Today, the Knicks want Towns to take a $76 million discount to sign an extension with the franchise.
“This is a growing cloud around the Knicks,” Charania said. “Karl-Anthony Towns has made it clear to the Knicks that he is willing to take a considerable discount on his contract extension. Just like his teammates have, such as Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Jalen Brunson. But the Knicks want him to take what he believes is an extreme discount. Sources tell me the Knicks are offering Towns a four-year, approximately $200 million contract. $76 million less than his max.”
Charania then added that the ‘temperature could rise” if both Towns and Hart aren’t extended by the time we get closer to the February trade deadline.
“Josh Hart has already hinted that as this gets closer to February (trade deadline), temperature could rise if KAT & Hart are not extended. So far…not close”
It’s worth noting that trading Towns for Davis wouldn’t do much for the Knicks in the way of saving money. Davis is also due for a contract extension. However, given Davis’ age, it’s likely his extension would fit within the Knicks’ projected budget, allowing them to keep the majority of the core rotation together.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Is Still Under Contract
Towns has two years remaining on his current four-year, $220 million contract. The upcoming season is fully guaranteed, with a player option for the 2028-29 season. It’s likely that Towns will opt out of that final year, as he seeks to secure guaranteed money for the next few seasons.
If the Knicks aren’t willing to budge from the $200 million mark, which is not only a big sacrifice on his potential max salary, but also a backward step from his current contract, Towns’ future will become an even bigger talking point.
However, given his importance to New York. Plus, he’s arguably the best shooting big man in the NBA. You can only hope the Knicks find a way to figure things out. Otherwise, New York will be forced to make a tough decision, and with it, their championship-winning center could be home hunting in a new city.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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