Mock Trade Proposal Bags Knicks Depth at Star's Expense

The New York Knicks have very little left to tie together before they unite for training camp in a few weeks.

They've finally filled their final remaining roster spot, bringing Landry Shamet back for another spin with the team. Their top-heavy rotation looks to be generally set in stone, with improved depth and a new coach offering the potential to out-do last year's big step forward.

But with the offseason slowing to a full halt entering mid-September, some fans are really starting to get antsy. The mock trades are in full-effect now that just about every desirable free agent has found a new home, and the Knicks aren't immune to some of these tough experiments.

Sports Illustrated's Thomas Carelli went through the hypothetical of a gargantuan fake Knicks trade, with the once-impulsive franchise settling down with a more strategic front office. He's pitching a Karl-Anthony Towns trade to the San Antonio Spurs, a theoretical mega-deal that would see Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson moved across conferences.

The idea of the trade is simple; the Spurs would acquire a star scorer to pair with Victor Wembanyama, while the Knicks would get some more of that depth they've reportedly craved for much of the summer.

San Antonio Spurs Center Victor Wembanyama — Feb 15, 2025; Oakland, CA, USA; Chuck’s Global Stars forward Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs warms up during the NBA All Star-Practice at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

This transaction is much more likely to benefit the Spurs than the Knicks, though. Towns is already ill-equipped to play the power forward position on defense, as his most recent playoff outing demonstrated, and he can easily slide in as a floor-spacer next to the star prospect. He's occasionally struggled in double-center lineups with non-shooters, and won't encounter that issue with one of the most versatile young players in the game.

The Knicks don't have as much need for all of the tertiary pieces, and they're on a much stricter timetable. While San Antonio more or less has the rest of the decade to put Wembanyama in a position to succeed in the crowded Western Conference, Towns and co. out east are in prime position to continue contending. Their run to the conference finals proved that, and they've done nothing but bolster last season's unit in preparing for the generally-open crop of eastern squads ahead of them.

As new head coach Mike Brown plans to alleviate the scoring burden that was already placed on Jalen Brunson, they'll need that other star scorer to hit some more of the big shots. They were already near the top of the NBA's best scoring tandems a season ago, and could greatly benefit from the deep assortment of role players that now line the roster.

An aging shooter like Barnes and prospects like Sochan and Johnson are serviceable pieces around the still-developing Spurs, but won't be much use on a Knicks team that's already located defenders and shooters who fit the Knicks' contention window.

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