The New York Knicks are one of the top teams in the East this year, but they are still nowhere near the caliber of the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. One of the things that could help them get there is addressing their problem at the center position.
Karl Anthony-Towns is an offensive beast of a big man, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired. Fansided’s Eamon Cassels proposes the Knicks solve this by swapping All-Star centers through a blockbuster trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr.
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The trade would look like this:
Knicks get: F/C Jaren Jackson Jr., G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Grizzlies get: F/C Karl Anthony-Towns, G Miles McBride, G Pacôme Dadiet
“Listen, I don't think the New York Knicks will actually trade Karl-Anthony Towns. Nevertheless, I think they probably should. Frankly, it's likely impossible to build a title-winning team when your two best players can't defend. With Towns' inconsistent play and poor defense, I don't think the value will be there. Swapping Towns for a similar caliber big man would make sense. Jaren Jackson Jr. can provide elite-level defense while matching a similar offensive impact to Towns. Ultimately, this would give the Knicks a stronger chance to win the championship.,” Cassels wrote.
MORE: Proposed Spurs trade sees San Antonio go all-in this season, replace Harrison Barnes with $112 million 22.3 PPG forward
So far this season, Jackson is averaging 18.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, one steal, and 1.5 blocks in 30.5 minutes per game. While he isn’t the offensive player Towns is, he’s a DPOY and leagues better defensively.
If the Knicks truly want to compete with the Pistons and Celtics, this is the trade to make. Then, they can finally try and win their first NBA championship in over half-a-century.
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