The New York Knicks are looking forward to next season after reestablishing themselves as a playoff contender.
However, it’s fair to say that the Knicks are wary of believing their status to be cemented. Jalen Brunson looks like he’s worth every penny he’s been given and more. Yet, he’ll be 28 years old when the season begins. Co-star Julius Randle is the black sheep of Villanova-heavy rotation. Their center corps has been turned on its head by Isaiah Hartenstein.
With that being said, trades don’t always solve a team’s problems, but there’s at least one deal the Knicks need to be considering.
Knicks, Timberwolves Should Make Splash Offseason Trade
Knicks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Timberwolves receive: Julius Randle, Jalen Duren
Pistons receive: Mitchell Robinson
Big KAT in the Big Apple
If the Knicks acquire Towns, millions of fans would line up in the street, telling anyone that’ll listen that it’s a big mistake. Towns is injury-prone, an inconsistent defender, and has one of the largest contracts in the league.
Yet, he’s also a four-time All-Star with career averages of 22.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. At 7-foot-0 and 248 pounds, he’s a true stretch big, shooting 39.8 percent from 3 for his career. As he demonstrated in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, he’s also an underrated defender; when he’s focused, he has great footwork, anticipation, and activity.
Knicks fans who are bullish on Towns may proclaim their favorite team to be future champions. The truth is always somewhere in the middle though. In Towns’s case, it lies between his reputation and his numbers.
On the Knicks, Towns’ interior gravity opens up space for spot-up shooters like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. His passing ability and touch would allow him to find cutters like Josh Hart out of mid- and high-post. His outside gravity creates crevices for players like Brunson to slice into. Whether they switch, play drop, or run a zone, Towns’ length will be a difference-maker. With Tom Thibodeau’s tutelage, he may even fully unlock his defensive potential.
By trading for Towns, they don’t have to place Randle in an awkward position where their playing time might be crunched either. Essentially, Towns will be playing the role of both Randle and Robinson. This allows New York to start either Hart or Donte DiVincenzo alongside Brunson, Towns, Bridges, and Anunoby, maximizing their chemistry and defense.
Randle’s Rack Attack, Dauphin Duren
With Randle and Duren heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves, two problems have been solved: Anthony Edwards now has a more assertive scorer beside him and the Timberwolves now have a fleet-footed pivot playing behind Rudy Gobert. Last postseason, those issues were the greatest obstacles to Minnesota making a run to the NBA Finals.
Over the past two seasons, Randle has averaged 24.7 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting from the field. For comparison, Towns has averaged 18.9 points per game in the last two postseasons.
Like Towns, Randle constantly attacks the teeth of the defense; he and Edwards’s blitzkrieg would deal a lot of a damage to defenses. He isn’t a knockdown 3-point threat like Towns is, which is a drawback of this move. However, Randle can still make teams pay from beyond the arc, as he’s hit 37.4 percent of his career corner 3s.
Duren could learn a lot about rim-protection from Gobert. However, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year doesn’t have Duren’s physical gifts, as the youngster switches onto smaller players with ease.
The best part of this acquisition though is that he and Gobert’s timelines complement each other’s. Gobert is 32 years old with a player option on his contract for next season. Duren is 20 years old with a team option on his contract for next season; if the Timberwolves extend a qualifying offer, he’ll be a restricted free agent.
Pistons’ Accelerated Rebuild
The Pistons still have their young core of Duren, Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and Ron Holland together. In theory, if two or three of those players can consistently knock down their 3s, they can start together.
However, Pistons president Trajan Langdon has shown a willingness to accelerate their rebuild. He’s done this by adding veterans like Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley, whose strengths complement their core’s weaknesses. With that being said, if Detroit can flip Duren for Robinson, they’ll have attained a rim-protector they desperately need. It doesn’t hurt that Robinson just turned 26 in April and is young enough to grow with their core.
He’ll be hitting his prime while they’re hitting their stride.
