The New York Knicks are one move away from being looked at as one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. The signing of Jalen Brunson last season was a masterstroke for the franchise, as the point guard emerged as their best player during the playoffs, where they made their second conference semi-finals appearance of the 2000s.
The Knicks have been canvassing the league for available stars to trade for with their war chest of assets. They made a massive push for Donovan Mitchell last season but were outbid by the Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately. They have looked at the likes of Zach LaVine and others as they've become available, but Karl-Anthony Towns may be the star they start to zone in on this summer. The Minnesota Timberwolves are asset-strapped, and the Knicks might be the team that changes that.
Trade Details
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, 2027 First-Round Pick
New York Knicks Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks lose just one pick from their draft capital, leaving them with more assets for more trades down the line. RJ Barrett's uneven development and playoff failures will incentivize the team to upgrade from him to KAT. Losing a young player like Grimes will hurt, but that isn't a major price, given this could be a way to pull off the Evan Fournier salary dump. The pick would be the price of that dump anyway, but it also goes towards getting them an All-Star caliber big man like KAT.
