The New York Knicks are in contract extension talks with star center and NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns, but if the two sides can’t agree on a deal, the idea of the team trading the big man is a realistic scenario.
So far, both parties are still interested in getting a deal done, but the Knicks are offering $200 million, which is less than the $276 million new contract over four years Towns is eligible to sign for. If no deal happens over the course of this season, New York could entertain a trade, and one team that could go after the center might be the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors, along with two other teams, were recently named as Towns trade landing spots, should the reports about his uncertain future in The Big Apple continue, as New York remains stingy on the price they are willing to spend to keep him in town.
Knicks Could Trade Karl-Anthony Towns To Warriors
The idea of the Knicks trading Towns stems from recent comments made by ESPN’s Shams Charania about how if he and Josh Hart can’t agree on new deals to stay in town, the franchise could start to look for landing spots for the two key pieces in the recent championship run.
“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, writing for Bleacher Report, Andrew Peters named the Warriors as one of the top potential landing spots, should the Knicks begin to seriously entertain a trade.
“After missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown this summer, Golden State could make a splash elsewhere by trading for Towns,” he wrote.
Peters did mention that a Golden State trade package for Towns remains somewhat unclear. Still, if they can offer a decent amount of assets back for the 2026 title-winner, the Bay Area is a reasonable landing spot for the center to play with superstar Stephen Curry in his final years in the league.
“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.”
Previously, the Warriors had a knack for landing star talent, and if the Towns contract extension situation with the Knicks gets messier, a potential trade to Golden State can’t be ruled out.
Other Landing Spots For The NBA Champion Center
Along with mentioning the Warriors, Peters listed the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers as potential landing spots if the Knicks decide to trade Towns.
“With (Anthony) Davis not being fully committed to the future, the Wizards could consider trading him to New York in return for Towns, who might be on board with signing a long-term deal in Washington for the right price,” he wrote of a Washington trade idea for Towns. “It would be a win-win for both teams, as the Knicks would get a center that could help them stay relevant, while the Wizards would get a player with championship experience to replace Davis. Towns would also fit in well alongside Trae Young and top draft pick AJ Dybantsa.”
If Towns is interested in making all the money he’s eligible for while also competing for a championship in the immediate future, the Wizards might not be the most realistic trade landing spot.
However, if the situation hits an all-time low, perhaps the Cavaliers could be the team to reach out to the Knicks for a Towns trade.
“With a star center potentially on the trade block, the Cavs’ front office should reconsider whether that’s the right plan of attack,” Peters mentioned. “The team is built around Donovan Mitchell, and that isn’t going to change, but the Cavs could look into trading Evan Mobley for Towns or package Jarrett Allen with a handful of role players or picks.”
For any of these teams, the Knicks could get a solid trade haul back for Towns. Still, it would mean dismantling the championship core, which comes at a major risk by itself that the front office would have to accept would mean the window for another title would come to an end.
Towns reportedly wants a new contract extension to stay with the Knicks, but the two sides are $76 million apart from agreeing on terms. As the star center recently said, he feels deserving of a new payday that, so far, New York isn’t willing to offer.
“Simply put – I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me. And none of those things are close to happening,” Towns told reporters. “I just won a championship. You’d think it was pretty easy. Unless you guys [reporters] think I have something else to prove.”
“Simply put – I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me. And none of those things are close to happening.”
Story coming:
As of now, the idea of a Knicks’ Towns trade is a bit far off. Still, the NBA moves quickly and is a dangerous business, so none of these landing spots can be ruled out if the franchise and the player can’t agree on a contract extension over the next few months.
Knicks Proposed To Trade Karl-Anthony Towns To Warriors As Contract Talks Stall