Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers gets tangled up with Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The New York Knicks are patiently waiting for a superstar, not just an All-Star big like Karl-Anthony Towns, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
So it’s no wonder why the Knicks have decided against trading for Towns despite the strong ties between him and team president Leon Rose, his former agent.
“According to league sources who have talked business with them, the Wolves have set a sky-high price on Towns, too. And according to another league source, in spite of what the constant speculation may tell you, the Knicks have not expressed any interest in trading for Towns,” Katz wrote.
Coming off an injury-plagued season, Towns’ trade value is at its lowest. So, the Timberwolves do not have the leverage this summer.
The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, their Timberwolves beat reporter, believes the team had yet to decide to move on from Towns. But for the sake of the argument that Towns is available, he believes potential Towns suitors are in the wait-and-see mode.
“If there is not a scenario out there right now where a team wants to commit serious draft capital and maybe a good young player to four Karl Anthony Towns, then I don’t I think your decision is made for you, and you just ride it out a little bit. And maybe as the season begins next year, Karl Anthony Towns is healthy, he plays a lot better the team responds, then the value would come up for him,” Krawczynski said on The NBA Report podcast.
As @FredKatz reports the Knicks lack of interest in Karl Anthony Towns, Wolves insider @JonKrawczynski dished on why the Wolves may not be so motivated to trade him.
Watch more – t.co/RLCbL3sGFA
Towns was limited to only 29 games last season due to a Grade 3 calf strain. The previous season, he played 74 out of the 82 regular-season games.
But in the grand scheme of things, Towns is in the lower tier below Embiid, who fits the mold of what the Knicks have been saving all their draft capital. However, Embiid is not on the trade block despite his recent comments about his uncertain future in Philadelphia.
Knicks Pick up Ex-Timberwolves Big Man
Instead of trading for Towns, the Knicks picked up his backup Nathan Knight.
The 6-foot-10 Knight agreed to join the Knicks on a two-way deal, according to Anil Gogna, director of strategy of Thread Sports Management & cap specialist of No Trade Clause.
The Syracuse native averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.7 minutes across 38 games last season with the Timberwolves. When Towns was out with the calf injury, Knight thrived in a bigger role, averaging 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 10 games he played more than 10 minutes.
Knicks Insider Shuts Down Joel Embiid Rumor
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Knicks Show No Interest in All-Star Big Man: Report