It was a disappointing end to the season for the New York Knicks as they fell short of reaching the NBA Finals.
Of course, the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 but they were unable to advance to the NBA Finals as they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games.
After their playoff exit, New York shockingly decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau and they now begin their offseason hunting for a new head coach.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Jan 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shakes hands with New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau as he exits the game during the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden.
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
New York also has some key decisions to make regarding their roster this summer after multiple of their stars underwhelmed during their playoff run.
One of those players was their star center Karl-Anthony Towns who had a great postseason offensively, but struggled mightily on the defensive side.
Because of this, Towns has been brought up in trade rumors to begin the offseason as the Knicks could look to move him to upgrade their roster.
Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after making a three-point shot against the Atlanta Hawks.
Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after making a three-point shot against the Atlanta Hawks.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
With this in mind, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell recently proposed a mock trade that involves the Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks and is headlined by Towns heading to Chicago.
In the trade, Caudell has New York acquiring Nikola Vucevic, Kevin Huerter, Lonzo Ball and a 2026 first-round pick via Chicago, Atlanta acquiring Ayo Dosunmu and Chicago adding Towns, Terance Mann, Kobe Bufkin, Pacome Dadiet and a 2027 second-round pick via Atlanta.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic drives into the post as Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero defends at KIA Center on April 7, 2024.
Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic drives into the post as Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero defends at KIA Center on April 7, 2024.
Mike Watters-Imagn Images
This would be an interesting trade for every team involved, primarily the Knicks as they would move on from Towns to upgrade their depth.
Of course, the Knicks struggled with their roster depth this season so adding Ball and Huerter to their bench would be solid additions to their roster while swapping Towns for Vucevic would also give them another star center.
Despite this, New York may elect to keep Towns after he impressed during his first season with the team and if they do end up moving him, expect it to be for a bigger name than Vucevic.