The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t the only team with the assets necessary to complete a groundbreaking summer trade.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, a Karl-Anthony Towns-centered trade for a two-time MVP and NBA champion could be worth monitoring for the New York Knicks.
“The Lakers' offer (for Giannis Antetokounmpo) would center on those three future first-round picks, which could be more appealing to Milwaukee if it intends to enter into a full reset post Antetokounmpo, rather than rebuilding on the fly with an offer from a team like the New York Knicks that would center on players such as Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby,” McMenamin wrote Tuesday.
On Feb. 5, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Knicks’ refusal to close the deal on Antetokounmpo is the reason the ex-NBA Finals MVP isn’t already on New York’s roster.
“They could have had Giannis Antetokounmpo last summer, and they probably could have had him now, but they don’t believe they should mess up this team,” Windhorst stated.
While the Knicks have played extraordinarily well since their Jan. 19 loss to the Dallas Mavericks (they’ve won 10 of their last 12 games), could a disappointing postseason lead to a change of heart regarding Antetokounmpo? Absolutely, considering the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals participants are in win-now mode and have high expectations moving forward.
Towns was briefly included in trade rumors when New York was struggling earlier this season, making it clear that he would be the featured asset in a potential offseason deal for Antetokounmpo.
It’ll be interesting to see how New York closes the 2025-26 campaign.
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