Knicks Shouldn't Move Karl-Anthony Towns at Deadline Amid NBA Trade Rumors

With the NBA trade deadline set to arrive at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, there's still plenty of uncertainty about what the New York Knicks will do.

New York has played extremely well as of late and is looking to continue narrowing the gap with the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Knicks are also keeping themselves in trade discussions involving Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Even as other franchises cobble together massive offers for Giannis, New York remains in the conversation, a source told The Athletic's Sam Amick.

While it's always worth putting in some calls when a player of Antetokounmpo's caliber becomes available, acquiring him now would likely force the Knicks to tear down much of their roster.

"League sources say the Bucks are known to be prioritizing impact players in talks," Amick wrote.

New York could expect to lose the likes of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns in any deal for Giannis.

If the Knicks don't make a move for Antetokounmpo, they may still look to shore up their roster at the trade deadline. And it sounds as if there's at least a chance that Towns could be moved, even in a non-blockbuster.

"In talking to teams around the league, a few executives don't believe that Towns is off limits ahead of Thursday's deadline," The Athletic's James L. Edwards III wrote.

As Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley recently opined, the Knicks shouldn't tear everything down in a desperate bid for Giannis. This writer agrees with that sentiment and also believes that moving Towns in a non-Giannis deal would be a mistake.

Yes, the 30-year-old is having a disappointing season offensively. According to Edwards, there also appears to be some friction between Towns and the Knicks:

"Sam Amick reported last week that New York's talks with the Bucks last summer about acquiring Antetokounmpo created hard feelings with Towns that are still present. Furthermore, Towns hasn't been given an extension even though he was eligible for one."

However, Towns' scoring inefficiency—he's been fantastic in the rebounding department—hasn't prevented New York from playing like a title contender over the past couple of weeks. And while his relationship with the organization may not be perfect, the Knicks reportedly believe in the players they have.

"The Knicks believe in this team," ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently said on Get Up! "They believed in the team last summer when Giannis was loosely available in those discussions."

If the Knicks do truly believe in the group they have, they should have no interest in moving Towns for a bargain-bin return. According to Edwards, New York can't expect to get much in return for Towns at this point in time, either.

"Assuming Towns is moved but not in a deal involving Antetokounmpo, the return is expected to be salary-matching players and, maybe, small draft compensation," Edwards wrote.

Are there role players out there who would fit the Knicks' roster? Sure. Would any of them provide an obvious upgrade over what New York has in Towns? Probably not.

Therefore, it would make a lot more sense for the Knicks to remain patient with Towns, allow him to continue excelling off the boards, and hope he can rediscover his offensive form ahead of the postseason.

If things don't improve before the offseason, New York can reassess Towns' future then. While he wasn't given an extension once eligible, he's still under contract through next season with a player option for 2026-27.