Karl-Anthony Towns‘ future with the New York Knicks will remain a talking point until his current contract situation is sorted out.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that will likely be next summer. The franchise has reportedly tabled extension discussions during the season after failing to reach a compromise during the summer.
However, the Knicks’ front office may struggle to keep their star big man, as James Dolan has issued a mandate to avoid going into the second luxury tax apron. If the Knicks aren’t confident of reaching an agreement that works for everyone involved, they could begin exploring their trade options.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus has proposed a deal that would send Towns to the Miami Heat. Bam Adebayo would be heading in the opposite direction.
The full trade proposal looks like this:
Miami Heat Get: Karl-Anthony Towns and a $6.1 million traded player exception via Tim Hardaway Jr.
New York Knicks Get: Bam Adebayo and Tim Hardaway Jr.
“The fans won’t like the Knicks’ motivation for the deal: money,” Pincus wrote. “Adebayo, 29, has a fixed cost of $53.4 million for 2027-28, followed by a player option at $57.4 million. The team has time before it has to recommit to Adebayo, who is significantly better than Towns defensively.”
Pincus continued.
“While Adebayo isn’t a reliable three-point shooter, don’t forget he scored 83 points last season. He’d eventually become a fan favorite once the city gets over losing Towns, a core piece of the title team.”
Parting ways with Towns should be viewed as a last resort. After all, he was instrumental in helping the Knicks win a championship last season.
Towns Turned Down A Knicks Offer This Summer
According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, Towns turned down an extension offer from the Knicks this summer.
“As The Post reported, the Knicks offered Towns a deal worth four years and about $200 million, which is $77 million less than his max,” Bondy reported. “It would also be a pay cut from his current salary of $57 million.”
New York also has to be mindful that Jalen Brunson will become extension-eligible next year. Factor in Josh Hart’s extension eligibility too, and New York is in a difficult position when trying to keep its championship core intact.
Josh Hart Wants To Remain With The Knicks
While Towns’ future will dominate the talking points within New York, Hart has been incredibly important in what New York has built. As such, his future is also of interest for both the fanbase and the franchise itself.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans, Hart doesn’t sound too encouraged that an extension will get done.
“Are things going to get done? There hasn’t really been much movement or conversation with that. So, I don’t think it will get done,” Hart recently said, via The New York Post. “But I would love for it to get done. Once the season starts, I’ll probably have that mentality of, ‘I don’t really wanna deal with this, I want to try and focus on playing the season.’”
The Knicks have a lot of tough decisions ahead of them. However, if they do opt to move on from Towns, attempting to take advantage of Adebayo’s early struggles next to Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a smart move.
Proposed Trade Lands Bam Adebayo With Knicks