The Golden State Warriors are in a very interesting situation as they are attempting to capitalize on the final few years of NBA superstar Stephen Curry‘s career. However, before the start of the season, concerning reports about the team’s center, Kristaps Porzingis, have emerged. His status, current health situation, and whereabouts are completely unknown, and the big man is now at risk of missing major time this year due to his continued ‘mystery illness.’
With that, the Warriors trading for another center is a realistic possibility to maximize the time they have left with Curry. Good news for Golden State is that one might become available pretty soon, and he would be a perfect fit in the Bay Area: Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks.
Towns is in messy contract extension negotiations with the Knicks, and as the idea of New York trading the NBA champion center was floated out, the Warriors were named a top landing spot and could use him to replace Porzingis, who is a complete unknown heading into this season.
Warriors Could Make Karl-Anthony Towns Trade, Named Top Landing Spot
Stemming from recent comments made by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Towns and Josh Hart could both become trade candidates if the Knicks don’t want to sign them to new contracts.
“This is a growing cloud around the New York Knicks,” he said on the NBA Today show. “Josh Hart has already hinted that as this gets closer to February, which is around the trade deadline, the temperature could rise if Karl-Anthony Towns and Hart himself are not extended. So far, these sides are not close.”
With that, as Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report proposed, the Warriors could be a top landing spot if New York does decide to trade Towns.
“Stephen Curry inked an extension with the Warriors that is $20 million less than what he was eligible for, and the front office now has the chance to reward him by building a championship-contending roster around him,” he wrote. “After missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown this summer, Golden State could make a splash elsewhere by trading for Towns.”
On paper, Towns would be a great fit in Golden State on the offensive side of the ball. He’s one of the best shooting big men in NBA history and would perfectly stretch the floor to let Curry do his thing. Towns is now a champion, and though he’d likely come in on a heavy trade price tag, the center could be the last big move Golden State makes to compete for a title with #30.
“The biggest question mark in this scenario is whether the Warriors have the draft capital to land an All-Star big man like Towns. It’s unclear if Jimmy Butler and/or Draymond Green would be involved, but Golden State’s best package would likely include Kristaps Porziņģis and a handful of draft picks,” he added. “The Warriors might have to sacrifice their future a bit by trading picks, but it could be a worthwhile investment if it means getting one last title before the end of Curry’s career.”
Could Golden State Replace Kristaps Porzingis With The Knicks Center?
The idea of the Warriors trading for Towns becomes more realistic after the latest Porzingis news. The big man who was signed to a new deal this summer wasn’t seen at media day or the start of training camp, and is reportedly still dealing with the ‘mystery illness’ that has derailed the past few seasons of his career.
Speaking to the media in a recent press conference, the Warriors head coach gave a concerning update on Porzingis, stating that he remains out indefinitely.
“I haven’t seen him yet…Yeah, I mean, you know, we want him back. He’s a really talented player, and so we thought that he was in a pretty good place. So it’s definitely concerning,” Kerr said, per Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle. “And so, as I said, all we’re going to do is support him, give him every bit of medical help he can get, and emotional support, and hope that he’s back soon.”
Asked Kerr about his level of concern.
“He’s a really talented player, and so we thought he was in a pretty good place. So it’s definitely concerning.”
Right now, there are real worries Porzingis won’t play for a huge chunk of the season, and if that is the case, along with being terrible news for the Warriors, it could force them into looking elsewhere for a center, and perhaps making this hypothetical Towns trade idea.
Though there are concerns over Towns’ skill set as a whole, he just proved he’s a winner and has been healthy for most of his career. Golden State would need to pay a hefty price for him (as the Knicks likely wouldn’t want Porzingis back at this point), and that might force them to mortgage their future even further to capitalize on the Curry era.
Still, if they don’t have Porzingis and are just left with aging Al Horford and Green in the frontcourt, another star center might be the missing piece for the Warriors.
It remains to be seen if Towns and the Knicks will agree on a new deal, or if they’ll entertain a trade at all.
But if that does happen, for both the player and team, the Warriors could be the best fit, especially if the Porzingis news keeps getting worse, as there’s no telling when he’ll get back on the court again.
Warriors Linked To Karl-Anthony Towns Trade After ‘Concerning’ Porzingis News