Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Rumors: Knicks 'Checked in,' Never Made Offer to T-Wolves
As the New York Knicks explore options to find another star they can pair with Jalen Brunson, the front office at least looked into Karl-Anthony Towns' availability earlier this season.
Per The Athletic's Fred Katz, the Knicks "checked in" on the three-time All-Star but never made an offer to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There was optimism before the start of this season that the Knicks might be in the mix for a potential superstar via trade in the summer of 2024.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported in October that Knicks president Leon Rose was making Joel Embiid his "No. 1 priority" if the reigning NBA MVP decided he wanted to leave the Philadelphia 76ers.
Katz noted New York's hopes for Embiid have "lessened" since the season began because the Sixers have been playing well after trading James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine is the biggest name that's known to potentially be available leading up to the trade deadline right now, but it doesn't sound like there's a robust market for his services.
The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry reported on Thursday the interest in LaVine from around the NBA has been "minimal" to this point. Some of that could be due to a foot injury that will keep him out for an estimated three to four weeks, per an announcement from the Bulls.
The Knicks are in a bit of a tricky spot right now because they're a good team capable of making the playoffs, but their ceiling is limited due to the lack of consistent scoring production.
New York ranks 11th in offensive rating and 21st in points per game this season. Brunson has been terrific with 24.9 points per game and a 45.7 three-point percentage. Julius Randle has started to heat up after a slow start, including scoring a season-high 41 points on 14-of-19 shooting in Monday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Knicks do need more production out of their big men. Mitchell Robinson is a fantastic rebounder, but he's only averaging 6.0 points per game.
Towns is averaging at least 20 points per game for the eighth consecutive season and is shooting a career-high 42.6 percent behind the arc.
Considering the Timberwolves currently own the best record in the Western Conference (16-4), it would seem unlikely they are looking to subtract one of their key players during the season.
If the Timberwolves make the playoffs and lose early, perhaps they would consider moving on from Towns to improve other areas of their roster. His four-year, $222.7 million extension signed in July 2022 doesn't start until the 2024-25 season.
