The Knicks closed out a win without Karl-Anthony Towns for the second time in four days, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. On Saturday against Philadelphia, it was because he fouled out, but in Tuesday’s victory over Sacramento, coach Mike Brown made the decision to keep Towns on the bench for the final 6:51 and let Mitchell Robinson finish the game at center. The strategy worked as New York turned a four-point lead into a 16-point win after Towns departed.
Towns said of Brown’s decision. “We got a win, that’s the most important thing.”
Trade rumors have begun to emerge regarding Towns, whose offensive numbers have declined sharply in his first season under Brown. He finished with 17 points in 27 minutes last night while shooting 5-of-15 from the field and had a team-worst minus-3 rating.
After being acquired in a deal with Minnesota shortly before the start of last season, Towns teamed with Jalen Brunson to be the focus of the Knicks’ offense as they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds while earning third-team All-NBA honors.
The coaching transition from Tom Thibodeau to Brown seems to have affected Towns more than any other player. His stats have fallen to 20.5 PPG and 11.4 RPG and his shooting numbers (46.6% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range) are the worst of his career.
“At the end of the game, we had a group out on the floor that was playing well,” Brown explained. “It was a tight ballgame, so I just rode that group to the end of the game, which I’ve done before. We have Deuce (Miles McBride) out there, who’s not a starter, Mitch out there, who’s not a starter. We needed to get the win.”
Robinson’s emergence has been a factor in Towns’ reduced playing time, as he posted a plus-25 rating in 27 minutes against the Kings. However, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post notes that the Knicks’ focus on keeping Robinson healthy for the playoffs and avoiding any further issues with his left ankle means his availability is frequently in question.
There have been conflicting reports on whether the Knicks are actually exploring a Towns deal, but it doesn’t seem likely to happen until Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future is resolved. With a $53.1MM salary this season that rises to $57MM in 2026/27, Towns could be a valuable piece in a potential deal for the Bucks star.
Going to be tough to find a team willing to take on that much payroll.
Yes, agreed but we see that there’s been plenty of trades involving a stud for a stud.
Sometimes it’s a stud for an unwanted stud plus equity.
Hopefully in the Warriors case, it will be an injured stud for an unwanted stud. We shall see !!
Or even Draymond since Knicks want someone who van play
Yes Michol, but I guess I was thinking, Butler plus lower salary guys like JK, Moody, Podski etc.
But as you mentioned, Butler probably doesn’t work for the Knicks because they need a guy who can play. It would have to be a five team massive deal for Butler to be included somehow.
Did you see these from today?
link to espn.com
“Kuminga hyperextended his left knee on a drive in Dallas on Thursday, which led to a minor bone bruise and some swelling. The Warriors sent Kuminga off their road trip back to San Francisco for treatment. Team sources said there’s some optimism he could return prior to the trade deadline and get rotation minutes before a decision is made about his future.
Multiple team sources have described it as less likely Kuminga is moved following Jimmy Butler’s right ACL tear. Without Butler, he’s back in the mix, scoring 30 points in 30 bench minutes before the injury. There’s internal conversation that he’d get another crack at minutes post-deadline — if he’s still around.”
link to espn.com
Now that Giannis looks to be obn teh move maybe they can get involved in a 3 or 4 team trade where Kuminga goes to Bucks.
NBA is OK, we’ve already been through this. If you believe the story above 100% then I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn.
Manipulation of the injury report is rampant.
I’m not guaranteeing It’s the case here because I don’t know, but this is a billions of dollars industry and teams will do what it takes to get ahead, to make money, and to win.
Warriors not taking on that payroll unless Butler is included and there is 0 reason for Knicks to take Butler when he could be out next year too.
Playing Devil’s advocate here but this would be the offer for KAT.
Vucevic – $21M
Williams – $18M
Huerter – $17M
Total outgoing money ($56m)
Kat – $53M
Yabusele – $5.5M
Lottery protected 2030 pick
2026 2nd round pick
2028 2nd round pick (Via Indiana or Phoenix)
Total outgoing money ($58.5m)
Gives Bulls an actual big man and solves their rebounding problem. Durabaility has never been an issue for KAT. We all know the problem with KAT lol.
Giddey/Ayo/Buzelis/Okoro/KAT, then you trade Coby for the best possible package for a stretch 4.
Knicks – Brunson/Bridges/OG/Hart/Vucevic/Williams/Huerter/McBride
That lineup/rotation should get you to the finals.
Would be a good trade if Knicks are thinking of shed payroll to sign FA this summer. Knicks are right now thinking of getting in on the Giannis trade so they might want assets back to trade to the Bucks.
Arc, honestly I think they need to call and ask other teams to get on getting Giannis. I don’t believe they have enough assets to get him 1/1 deal.
As for my proposal, I don’t think it’s a hard price, it clears cap for them to rebuild in offseason and get someone else. The big ticketed salaries will be hard for them to take off the books, but getting rotational depth in the summer when you have $39M coming off the books would be crucial. For us, it would damage our projected $80M cap space if we acquire KAT, but I truly believe that we will not pick high enough in the AKME era to get someone like a talent like KAT. We need to get creative to draw stars/superstars to this franchise.
I have no idea what the Bucks want for Giannis which is going to hold up every deal right now. Giannis wants to go to Miami or NY. Most likely any trade will need more teams involved. So are bucks rebuilding or stubbornly think they can compete without Giannis? NY goal is to compete so they will want assets to win now.
I think a package around Herro/Ware would help Bucks more than any package NYK sends them. I know there’s other assets to be involved, but that’s my expectation. Maybe Jaquez as well with picks.
If I am Miami I would offer Bam and a 1st rounder in a trade with Giannis. Would not need to add much more onto the trade if Bucks are still thinking of being a playoff team.
That is awfully low for Bucks return. It doesn’t help them in the future to compete. Bam is a good player, but does ANYONE have him in their top 30???
Any deals that takes PWill out of our hands is fine with me
@raz
“Knicks – Brunson/Bridges/OG/Hart/Vucevic/Williams/Huerter/McBride
That lineup/rotation should get you to the finals.”
Pistons disagree.
Oh nothing against Pistons, but unless they make a move I think they’ll fall just short of the finals. Great team though.
No thanks keep all your unwanted players. Towns can be moved at end if year. Knicks aren’t desperate lol.
So you don’t want Patrick Williams anymore?????
FWIW: Devil’s advocate – a person who expresses a contentious opinion in order to provoke debate or test the strength of the opposing arguments.
Just cause Bulls can’t develop talent. And I can. Doesn’t mean I want him. I said he could be an OG type player. Why would I want him. I’d appreciate it if you stick to the facts. And not make up lies about me. We can will have a better understanding that way.
Dude you need to relax. Taking shots at my team when it’s a simple trade proposal. People like you ruin all the fun when talking hoops.
And what “talent” has KnickerBockerAl developed??? Let’s take a look at your entire roster construction as of this year.
Brunson -Free Agency
Bridges -Trade
KAT – Trade
OG – Trade
Hart – Trade
Clarkson – Free Agency
Shamet – Free Agency
You kept asking for Yabusele all summer long, and you don’t want him anymore???
Name one player the Knicks have actually developed thru the draft since they drafted KP a decade (plus) ago.
2017 – Ntilikina LOL
2018 – Knox LOL
2019 – Barrett (used in a trade for OG)
2020 – Toppin (traded for two SECONDS)
2021 – Grimes (gave up on him too soon)
2022 – No first round pick
2023 – See 2022
2024 – Pacome Dadiet/Tyler Kolek – Kolek who you already stated needs more time to grow and isn’t a player that is capable coming off the bench of a title contender and playing meaningful minutes in here.
2025 – Three Musketeers with 2022/2023.
Need I say more? You want FACTS I gave you FACTS without insulting your team. Try it sometime.
“Name one player the Knicks have actually developed thru the draft since they drafted KP a decade (plus) ago.”
They’re not superstars or anything but the Knicks drafted Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride.
Both are serviceable players in their own right, but Al talks like Knicks only develop stars/superstars.
@raz427: Agreed. But the Knicks also never draft high, and recently, they’ve traded away picks as well. Tough to develop anyone when you’re not drafting high-end talent to begin with.
So I’m with you. Knicks don’t really develop talent, but they’re not really built that way, anyway.
Mich, McBride, Grimes, Quickley, Sims, didn’t draft him but Thibs made him better Randle, Hukporti was getting there under aThibs, RJ, Obi1,
Its not Taking shots at your team. Cause I see a better way for Williams. All you clowns bash him all the time. I have never trashed hi like you DA does. I am showing another way. Nothing negative like 99% of Bulls fans stuff about him. I talked Coby up. When most of you talk him down. I am nothing like your Weak Arr. That takes nothing to trigger you.
I don’t run the Knicks. So why would I care what you think of them. That is the DIFFERENCE between us. I give you knowledge or solutions. You give rants and accusations. Have fun rooting for Ping Pong Balls.
“Just cause Bulls can’t develop talent. And I can.”
WHAT TALENT DID YOU DEVELOP????
Enjoy your pretend IST banner.
1973 and counting.
Ooohhhh …. Like I said you are weak lol …..
I never talked about any banner. Personally I enjoy the ride more or as much as winning. Those Bulls and Pacers series will always be special to me. Win or lose.
Im a nobody. But I got more sense than to resign a losing coach like Donovan. Or killing a player cause he doesn’t save my team. Just like Warriors fans blaming Kuminga. I would find a way to help him grow. So I can move him. Instead of crying all the time why he is so bad. Only FOOLS trash a 20-24 yr old talent. Especially when you haven’t done much to help him grow. 😩😩☹️😭😭😭😭…. Real productive to blame players for their teams failures.
I have explained how to help Williams. I don’t GAF what you think of it. You can lie all about it.
Most correct thing you have said on this site….
“I’m a nobody”
“Donovan”
Is that why your franchise gave up on Knox before he was 24???? Don’t lecture me about giving up on players. They gave up on him at 22. Based on your criteria, the Knicks didn’t do much to help him grow, right????
I don’t care what any franchise does or gives up on. I can see for myself what is going on. I don’t swallow what they feed you lmao ……
I don’t have a criteria. I have vision and knowledge. Something that is available to every poster on here.
You are right about Knox. He wasn’t helped much. But there is more there on a personal level. You can look that up on your own. Ntilikina was also a bad decision. Not for what you think. He wasn’t a top pick. He also wasnt helped cause of infighting in Knicks management. I can name more failed picks than you ever will. I don’t revel in their failings. I let it happen. The real story is most young talent can be helped to be better than when you drafted him. As long as they want to get better. Not always on player. Is that hard for you to comprehend. You rather trash and call them names. Go ahead nobody is stopping you. I’ll let them fail on their own.
You need me to send you popcorn for the lottery lol …..
Please name all the failed picks since you develop talent in here.
link to basketball-reference.com
Enjoy yourself …..
My wife has been doing this to me for almost 52 years. Care to hear my W-L record? :))
Imo he’s worse than that. More like disgruntled ex wife lol …….
Says the who is senile and disagrees with anyone that has a pulse. Time to take your vitamins old man.
“I can develop talent”
^^^ This also clears Knicks cap for $38M headed into the offseason and reload with expiring deals of Vu/Huerter.
In reality it only clears about $10 million for free agents, the Knicks have about $145 million in salary without KAT next season, the current cap is 155. Depending on what the cap hold for Mitchell Robinson is, the Knicks will most likely be operating over the cap and only have exceptions to use
Correction, I forgot to add Williams salary, so the Knicks will be over the cap next year. That $40 million coming off the books would not open any room for free agents
Projected cap space for next year will be around $166M with $201M the hard cap.
Hoops has has 2026-27 NYK payroll at $203,751,948M before Dadiet’s $2,983,680M
Take away KAT’s 57,078,728M and Yabusele’s $5.75M. That’s $140M then you add Williams’ $18M, that’s around $158M, so approximately $8M for free agents, then you factor in 9 soon to be free agents including Mitchell Robinson who would be let go, and then factor in 2026 1st rounder, and two 2026 2nd rounders (one would be traded to Chicago), they would have to trade Hart’s $20,923,760M in the summer to create cap flexibility, which isn’t too far fetched.
Point is, I see where you are coming from and how you are breaking it down, but if this trade ever happened, they wouldn’t be in a bad financial state to address some depth in free agents with 3 picks in 2026 and approximately $8-15M in free agency.
Agreed. Just wanted to point out that they wouldn’t be able to add a $40 million player based on the expiring contracts.
Knicks are a contender. And this FOOL thinks Knicks should shed salary. That’s his selling point for a Bulls trade. There isn’t a Bulls player Knicks would want. It’s not cause they suck and are a lottery team. Its cause we have a core and a rotation. And nothing Bulls have available. Can help us.
You can have Yabu for free.
Please no KAT for dubs. No like.
he is not coming to warriors. they would need to move Green payroll for it to happen.
Yea let him go to bulls.
Purrfect fit!
These trades are ridiculous all of them and they make no sense. They’re fantasy trades that players would make. Bulls are not taking kat for 1 pick why. They are trying to get in the lottery. Warriors Don’t have the cap space to obtain kat. Again, I don’t know how many people don’t understand this. The Lakers and the warriors until Butler and LeBron move on both teams are stuck. There’s way too much of the cap wrapped up in both of those players and any trades would only make the team worse off than what they have by giving up assets.
It’s wasn’t surprising. Brown did what any coach paying attention to the game would have done. It wasn’t about KAT, it was about Mitch. KAT actually played decent for a change. But Mitch was dominant, and, as Brown said, they wanted to win. No story here. If Brown had taken Mitch out to placate KAT, that would be a story.
Exactly. You don’t tinker with a lineup when it is producing. Never change the rhythm.
Knicks are not dumping Towns cause ALL of you don’t like him. He is last yrs starting all star center. No reason why his value can’t go up by end of year. He is the starting center for a contender.
Knicks might not play well enough to get out the East. But thats yet to be proven. And there is NO ONE in the East we can’t beat. It’s getting thru three rds. And more important than Towns is our bench right now.
All Knicks are having a down yr compared to last yr. Except Brunson …….So why is it only Towns you concentrate on. Still more than 30 gms to go. We don’t panic in NY. We handle our business and live with the results ….. we are still breaking in a new coach lols.
I never thought in a million years the Knicks (and us fans) would want KAT off the team when they traded for him. (sarcasm). His last year on the Timberwolves, he was benched in the 4th quarter of playoff games too.
I so wish we never made that trade. Coulda still had Randle, Donte and even IHart. Knicks would have been better with that group.