If the New York Knicks wanted to trade Karl-Anthony Towns so they can get salary cap flexibility in the summer, one specific team offers them that unique opportunity.
This, by no means, has been a bad season for the NY Knicks. They head into the weekend with a 26-18 record and just two games out of the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The problem is their performance so far has not lived up to the expectations of one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA.
With the East being weaker in 2025-26 because the Boston Celtics are without Jayson Tatum, the Indiana Pacers don’t have Tyrese Haliburton, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are a mess, this season offered an opportunity for the NY Knicks to dominate. At points in the first half of the season, they did, but now this talented team is in a serious slump.
Since the calendar switched to 2026, they are 3-8 and have their fanbase very concerned. Unsurprisingly, it has led to a lot of speculation about coach Mike Brown’s future and trade chatter. The player that seems most likely to be moved among their stars is Karl-Anthony Towns. Since he is a bad fit in his new coach’s system and has created more frustration with his effort on defense.
Karl Anthony Towns stats: 20.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 BPG, 36% 3PT
However, moving him for equal value will be difficult. He still has three years and over $171 million left on his contract, including a $61 million player option in 2027-28. The NY Knicks would need to find a team that still sees a ton of value in the five-time All-Star during a bit of a down year. But there is one that might.
According to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, “the Chicago Bulls have been very active on the trade market” ahead of next month’s deadline. The asset they are offering in potential trades is expiring contracts. Six of their veterans are in the final years of their deals, including Nikola Vucevic and Coby White.
Should the NY Knicks try to move Karl-Anthony Towns to the Bulls?
Chicago could easily let those deals run out and be big players in NBA free agency this summer. However, they know expiring deals are a very valuable trade chip, and they don’t want to let them go to waste. Meaning they would like to land an All-Star to improve the roster for the long term because rival teams are not trading draft picks for expiring deals.
For a team like the Bulls, Towns would be a fantastic addition. He has frustrated NY Knicks fans because a championship this year is the goal, and they probably won’t get it with him. However, the player considered the best shooting big man in league history would help elevate Chi-Town into a top-six-level team in the East if he teams up with Josh Giddey. Then the front office can add around that.
There is certainly risk in a deal for the NY Knicks. But, in the short-term, players like Vucevic, White, or a Kevin Huerter are still nice rental additions. But more than anything, it would get Towns’ money off the books after this season. Meaning they could go after a player like LeBron James in free agency, or use that cap flexibility to better build the roster via trades in the summer.
