This past season, the New York Knicks took a big step closer to winning their first NBA title since 1973.
It was their first consecutive 50+ regular season win campaign in 30 seasons. Jalen Brunson is a bona fide star at point guard, and his offensive chemistry with newly-acquired big man Karl-Anthony Towns made them unstoppable at times.
However, a disheartening loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals led to the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks are left with that vacancy and need to plug a few more holes to increase their odds of reaching the mountaintop.
Adding another bench contributor or two would go a long way. New York was so heavily dependent on their seven-man rotation this postseason, and getting a go-to scorer off the bench would ease Brunson and Towns’ workloads.
There are questions if this current core can get it done, and should they look to switch things up in a sneakily competitive Eastern Conference, here is one potential option: Robert Zschoche of Last Word On Sports listed Towns as a possible trade chip this summer.
Towns has two years left on his current deal and is set to make $53.1 million and $57 million, respectively. He then has a player option for 2027-28, but could also take his $61 million and call it a day.
It feels foolish to shake the roster up this significantly so early into his Knicks tenure, even with his rim-protecting deficiencies. Unless New York receives someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo for a Towns-centered package, it will feel like a step backward.
This league is won by superstars, and sacrificing them does not bode well for those Finals chances.