Karl-Anthony Towns
The New York Knicks have not been playing good basketball of late. Following a blowout loss to the Mavericks on Monday, they have now lost four games in a row, and eight out of 10 overall.
Not only did they fall by 17 in that Monday contest, but they were booed off the floor. In the first year of the Mike Brown regime, New York got off to a hot start. But as things have started to go cold, problems with depth and chemistry have started to emerge.
It was reported earlier that the team might even be shopping one of their starters. Karl-Anthony Towns, in his second year in the Big Apple, has been mentioned.
Jalen Brunson was indeed voted as an All-Star starter, but many things outside of his play seem to be going very sideways.
Tough times at MSG.
Knicks Shopping Karl-Anthony Towns?
Newsday Sports columnist Steve Popper put out a postgame piece following the Knicks loss to the Mavs. And included in there was a nugget that the team has been having discussions about Karl-Anthony Towns. The 5X All-Star has been struggling of late, and this news was certainly something of a bombshell.
Popper, on Towns, said that:
” His name surfaced when the Bucks and Knicks discussed the chance of a deal involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, but now league sources said that talks have involved other teams including Memphis, Orlando and Charlotte”.
KAT’s mumbers have been down across the board this season, with his scoring, rebounding, efficiency, minutes, and net rating all dropping from 2024-25. He was named an All-Star starter last season, so it is absolutely very different than it was previously.
The trade that landed Towns in New York sent Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to Minnesota, where both have been thriving since arriving. The deal put talent in both cities, though the acclimation has clearly been just a little different.
Should New York actually move on from their big man, it would be interesting to try to guess at a return. Two out of the three teams mentioned above do not have starting caliber centers that they could send back.
Possible for KAT to Rebound In New York?
Of course, the above is all just banter and rumors until it is not. As long as Karl-Anthony Towns is a member of the Knicks, he’ll be the starting center. Mitchell Robinson has certainly proven his value this season, but does not add any offensive value.
The issue for NY is that Towns struggles on defense, while his counterpart cannot make even a single free-throw. There have been games where they’ve played together, but it hasn’t worked with consistency. Josh Hart moved back into the starting lineup pretty early on, and hasn’t gone back out.
Tensions seem to be running high here in Mike Brown’s first season, and they’ve got a lot to fix. The KAT issue isn’t something that’s been hidden, and it’s been tough. He still puts up big numbers and dominates on the glass, but losing eight out of 10 games will sour any positives.
When competing for a title is the goal, things have to be steady in the regular season. Tom Thibodeau was fired despite the team being two wins from the NBA Finals. The expectation is for Mike Brown to take them at least that far.
As it stands now, a trade of their once-thought-of cornerstone, would shake things up and perhaps reshape expectations.
KAT has work to do. He’s capable, but has to lock in.