The New York Knicks’ trade for star forward OG Anunoby late in December was not necessarily a surprise. New York had been linked to the former Toronto Raptors forward for some time.
Though, the details of said trade were surprising. Instead of parting with some of their draft capital, the Knicks gave up youngsters RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. It could very well allow front office head Leon Rose to make another move ahead of the NBA trade deadline next month.
Another name that has been linked to the Knicks is Minnesota Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. His name is being floated about again.
“Knicks always going to have interest in Karl Anthony-Towns but nothing has materialized as of yet,” Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Tuesday.
At this point, it seems highly unlikely that the Wolves would even consider a trade of Towns. They entered Tuesday’s NBA action with a Western Conference-best 24-8 record. Teams in that standing don’t simply trade All-Star players.
Related: 5 New York Knicks trade scenarios
Could the New York Knicks land Karl-Anthony Towns?
It could depend on how the next month goes for Minnesota ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline. If the team starts to struggle, front office head Tim Connelly could look into making a move. There were rumors in this regard after Minnesota suffered a second consecutive first round exit in the NBA Playoffs last spring.
For some, the combo of Towns and fellow big man Rudy Gobert doesn’t fit well in today’s NBA. Though, that has not been an issue 32 games into the 2023-24 season.
What we do know is that the Knicks are slated to have as much as eight first-round picks over the next three drafts. These will be dangled in trade talks to help improve their current roster.
- Karl-Anthony Towns stats (2023-24): 21.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.9 APG, 51% shooting
Acquiring someone of Towns’ ilk to go with Jalen Brunson and Anunoby could make the Knicks legitimate conference title contenders. Whether that happens remains to be seen.