New York Knicks
The Knicks have been floated as a franchise that James wouldn’t mind playing for since his 2010 free agency. 15-plus years later, James still seems like he’d be willing to play for them. From their rich history to New York’s history with the rich and famous, they’re essentially the East Coast version of the Lakers. Less successful in terms of championships, of course. Yet, Madison Square Garden’s still a majestic arena with a hint of magic in the air.
As for why they would trade Towns for James?
At the end of the day, it isn’t just that Towns isn’t clicking with his head coach. His decision-making and shot-making have left a lot to be desired this season. His defensive shortcomings have never gone away. To that point, he’s also a player without a true position; he’s too stiff to consistently guard players on the perimeter and lacks the rim-protection one would expect from a center.
With the Knicks in position to make a run to the NBA Finals, they need someone to simplify the equation.
LeBron James vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
Sure, James isn’t locking up players; the main criticism about him since arriving in L.A. has been his routinely lackadaisical defense. However, he’s still holding players below their average field goal percentage both inside and outside the arc. That’s more than can be said of Towns, with shooters finding their mark from outside more often when he’s their primary defender.
Offensively, James has been far more efficient, shooting over four percentage points higher than the five-time All-Star. On top of that, he’s a much more diverse offensive weapon. He can score in every conceivable way, hence him being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He’s always been one of the best passers in the league, which should help New York’s sludgy ball-movement.
Then there’s his encyclopedic basketball IQ and eidetic memory.
Essentially, he’d only help the Knicks where they’re weak. Keep in mind, they give up the third-most 3s (14.6 per game) and allow opponents to shoot 37.3% (27th in the NBA) on those attempts. Though they rank seventh in points per game (117.9), they’re 15th in field goal percentage (.470). They average 26.6 assists per game (12th in the league) this season but have been one of the league’s worst ball-moving teams this decade .
Speaking of decades, though James is much older than Towns, the latter is no spring chicken. At this point of his career, he’s on the wrong side of 30. Though he should be able to dominate for a few more years, longer than James will due to his impending retirement, it’s not like they’d be discussing moving a 25-year-old franchise cornerstone for him.
Of note, by swapping James and Towns’s contracts, they’ll be able to get $17 million under the cap this offseason. Frankly, that won’t be enough for a big fish in free agency. However, if they re-sign James for what would likely be his final season in 2026-27, they’ll become players in the 2027 offseason with what would potentially be around $100 million in cap space. That’s more than enough to go fishing; they’d be sharks.
2025-26 Statistical Comparison
James: 22.5 points, 7.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 0.7 blocks per game on .510-.333-.740 shooting splits
Towns: 20.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.7 blocks per game on .469-.363-.860 shooting splits
