The New York Knicks entered the 2024-25 season with a championship or bust mentality. And after falling short in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the dominoes have started to fall — beginning with head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was relieved of his duties earlier this week (forcing New York to eat the remaining $30 million on his contract). The huge question now for the Knicks is whether or not they will look at Karl-Anthony Towns as a long-term piece still, or as a trade chip that could bring in someone who better fits the rest of the roster.
When the Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Towns, they gambled on the effectiveness of a roster with plenty of top-shelf talent at the cost of depth. And for the most part, it worked; New York dethroned the reigning champion Boston Celtics even with their defensive question marks with Towns at the forefront, and they also went toe-to-toe with the eventual East champion Indiana Pacers.
Alas, there are plenty of defensive question marks surrounding this Knicks team; their defensive backbone of Towns and Jalen Brunson is flimsy, and this gave the Pacers so many soft spots to punch through in the ECF. A new head coach isn't about to solve the foundational defensive issues that a roster led by Towns and Brunson will have.
Make no mistake about it, Towns is one of the best players in the association and the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown that they can win at a high level with him on the roster. But if the Knicks decide that a team with Towns at center only has so high of a ceiling, here are some trade destinations that sound perfect for the 2025 All-NBA center.
4. Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Bucks are in dire straits moving forward; after Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles, the Bucks don't have a reasonable pathway to contention in the coming years, especially when they don't have much in the way of draft assets and blue-chip prospects. This is why many think that it's a possibility that Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the most loyal superstars in the NBA, asks out eventually.
This would make Antetokounmpo a very appealing trade target for nearly every team in the NBA, although when a star like Antetokounmpo requests a trade, they usually give out a list of their preferred destinations, with the Bucks then working with those teams on potential frameworks of a trade. On the chance that Antetokounmpo names the Knicks as one of his desired landing spots, New York should be willing to dangle everyone not named Jalen Brunson for him. And yes, that includes Towns.
Towns alone won't get the deal done; someone like Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby will also have to go to the Bucks, with someone like Kyle Kuzma heading to the Knicks as well. This is the only realistic trade between two teams, as New York won't have the draft capital to entice the Bucks further considering what they paid for Bridges.
Alas, this does not seem to be a good destination for Towns personally. It's hard to imagine him wanting to go back to a rebuilding situation after getting a taste of what it's like to compete deep in the playoffs over the past two seasons.
3. Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots the ball against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the third quarter at Footprint Center.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Suns have plenty of roster issues of their own to sort through. They are stuck with the Bradley Beal contract, and it looks very likely that they will trade Kevin Durant away just to recoup some assets. But one hypothetical trade that has been making the rounds in recent days is a potential swap between the Suns and Knicks involving Durant and Towns.
Durant is no longer a spring chicken (he'll be 37 years old prior to the start of the 2025-26 season), but he would free up the starting center spot on the Knicks for Mitchell Robinson, reinforcing the team defensively as a result. He may no longer be as agile as he once was, but he's not the defensive weak spot Towns can be at times.
For the Suns, if they can swap Durant for Towns, it's a no-brainer. Towns will just be entering his age-30 season, and again, he is coming off an All-NBA season after averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per contest on 53/42/83 shooting from the field. Towns and Devin Booker, the Suns' franchise player, are also very good friends, and this at least gives Phoenix an exciting product to put out there next season all while patching up their huge hole at center.
This doesn't rank higher for Towns in terms of appealing trade destinations due to the fact that he's going from a contending team in the Knicks (and the Timberwolves before that) to a middling Western Conference team in the Suns.
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2. San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first quarter at Madison Square Garden.
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Spurs have preferred to build their next contending team the slow and steady way. Even after drafting Victor Wembanyama, they got two high lottery picks and are well-positioned to surround Wembanyama with the exact kind of core that he needs to sustainably contend in the unforgiving Western Conference.
But in terms of sheer fit, Towns slots in quite well into the Spurs' starting five. His best defensive home is at power forward, and with Wembanyama, the best rim protector in the NBA at the moment, his weaknesses on that end of the floor will be covered in the best way possible.
Someone like Devin Vassell would have to go to the Knicks in a Towns trade, while Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan may also have to be included. That could prove to be far too rich of a price for a Spurs team that's not rushing in any way to compete for a title. But it's hard to argue against the idea that a core four of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Towns, and Wembanyama would be incredible and could earn them 50 wins in the West as soon as next season, health permitting.
Alas, both teams will be hesitant in the end to strike any kind of agreement. Vassell is not someone the Knicks will go out of their way to target, as he stands at just 6'5″ and will force Anunoby to suit up at the four. That may not be a tenable situation. Johnson has efficiency problems, while Sochan, as helpful of a hustle and rebounding guy he is at the moment, is someone defenses will ignore come playoff time. New York already has someone like Sochan on the roster in Josh Hart anyway.
1. Dallas Mavericks
Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts during a time out in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Unlike the first two teams, this Mavericks team can end up being really good as soon as next season. Their guard play is a bit rough, with Kyrie Irving on the mend due to a torn ACL, but their frontcourt is about to be one of the deepest in the NBA. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington and, presumably, Cooper Flagg will be such an incredible group that they need just serviceable guard play to be a force to be reckoned with next season.
But with the Mavericks looking to win back their fanbase quickly, Towns would be such an incredible addition and a good fit alongside Davis, preparing themselves for another championship push once Irving returns to full health. If there's anything Towns needs to thrive without it coming at the cost of defense, it's a rim protector alongside him, and Davis is exactly that.
The Knicks have also learned this postseason that depth matters, so why not target a package built around Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall, and PJ Washington? Those are four battle-tested players who are seamless fits alongside the likes of Brunson, Bridges, and Anunoby.