One of the Western Conference’s rising teams are the Portland Trail Blazers, who possess a cool blend of veteran starpower and emerging talent.
Last season, the Blazers took another step forward, clawing their way into the playoffs after a 42-win season, a six-win improvement from the year before.
Next season, Portland will welcome Ja Morant and add Damian Lillard back into the mix. Morant and Lillard are poised to give the Blazers the kind of backcourt dynamic that few teams possess. Morant will routinely wow with his high-flying acrobatics while Lillard will sink 42-foot 3-pointers like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant made clutch free throws.
In the frontcourt, though, is where the Blazers could use some help. While the franchise has not indicated it is (yet) in the market for a big swing, there is an argument to be made that the Blazers are one big star away from clashing with the titans of the West deep in the playoffs.
Time to Shoot for Knicks Big Man Karl-Anthony Towns?
GettySAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JUNE 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks drives to the basket against De’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs during the fourth quarter in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Over in New York, the Knicks are still celebrating a victory they hadn’t tasted in decades. The Knicks are very likely to enter next season with the players they currently have on the roster, unless a truly too-good-to-pass-up trade offer comes their way. But with their roster getting increasingly expensive and those tax and apron penalties hanging over them, New York will have to make some tough decisions in the near future. And if things work out a certain way, star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is on a $220 million contract, could get moved.
Here’s a trade framework that could send Towns to the Blazers, creating a new beast in the West.
Blazers receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Knicks receive: Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara and a 2029 first round pick
The Blazers would send away their two-time champion point guard and their young, rapidly-ascending power forward to go all-in on Towns, a six-time All-Star.
But would the Knicks take this offer?
Why Both Teams Do the Trade
For the Knicks, moving Towns for Holiday and Camara would reinforce two major areas on the roster. He may be aging, but Holiday’s championship impact is proven and arguably second-to-none among non-superstars in the league. Although his ability to elevate a title-contender to a champion is very superstar-esque.
New York would also welcome a 26-year-old potential future superstar in Camara, who entering his fourth season is already viewed as one of the best emerging players in the NBA. Last season, Camara registered a career-high in points per game and shot 37 percent from the 3-point line while appearing in all 82 games.
The Knicks would secure a 2029 first round pick to boot.
For Portland, Towns would join 22-year-old rising star big man Donovan Mitchell in the frontcourt. After just two seasons, Clingan, a 2024 lottery pick, is already a double-double machine; he averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds per game as a sophomore in the NBA.
With Towns, the Blazers would have a unique combination in both the frontcourt and backcourt, giving the team a ton of starpower and the personnel to lock horns with anyone in the West.
Towns is not a franchise-changer by himself, but alongside Morant, Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Deni Advija, he could be the perfect boost that pushes Portland to the next level.
Knicks Proposed to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns for $216 Million Blazers Star Duo