Report: Knicks Not in Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Talks

The New York Knicks have been linked in the past to Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, but trade talks have never materialized.

May 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter of game four of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have been in trade rumors for Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, but they just appear to be just that — rumors.

According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks haven't engaged in conversations for Towns at any point.

"The Knicks have always had an eye on Towns, though this front office has never engaged in serious trade negotiations for him, according to league sources. He’s a CAA client, one of the most-skilled offensive bigs ever to touch a basketball and though he had a complicated relationship with Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau back when Thibodeau coached him in Minnesota, there are people around the coach who believe the two have reconciled and would work well together now (though you never know until you see it in person)," Katz writes.

Towns, 28, has been involved in trade rumors from the Wolves for a while, especially after failing to make any noise in the postseason in the first eight years of his career. However, this past season, fortunes changed for Towns and the Wolves as the team made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years.

Towns averaged 21.8 points per game this past season, which is a strong figure to team up next to a rising star in Anthony Edwards.

However, given his new extension kicking in this summer, the Wolves still have reason to deal Towns if the right trade comes along.

Perhaps the Wolves would like to save a little money and add some flexibility by trading Towns to the Knicks for a package headlined by Julius Randle, who would almost certainly have to leave New York in order to make room in cap space and on the court.

Would the Knicks be enthusiastic to pay Towns $221 million over the next four seasons? Probably not, unless he can get New York a title. While him and Jalen Brunson would make a formidable pair, it wouldn't be a surefire upgrade, and for that reason alone, the Knicks should hold off on making a rash deal for him this summer.

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