It seems like things haven’t been going too well for Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks. Towns clearly wants to stick around in New York and help the Knicks keep their team together, but considering the two sides haven’t agreed on an extension, it doesn’t seem like the Knicks want to pay him too much.
James Dolan has gone on the record saying he will not go into the second apron. That’s not great news for Towns or the Knicks, especially considering how many players they need to retain in the next few years. But Towns isn’t one they should be playing around with. He and Jalen Brunson are the core. Keeping those two guys around is the key to success in New York.
And if it really comes down to it, the Knicks should seriously consider moving on from someone like Mikal Bridges instead of messing up the Towns situation.
Knicks cannot lose Karl-Anthony Towns, even if Mikal Bridges is the cost
Recent indications would lead to the belief that the Knicks aren’t too eager to give Towns a large contract. And if they end up lowballing him for too long, he could get fed up.
We just saw how the Jalen Duren situation unfolded for the Detroit Pistons. He ended up taking an offer before the start of the season, but things got chippy. And the Towns situation is worse.
Because he’s not a restricted free agent. He has a team option for next season. So, if he gets upset with how the Knicks are handling things, he could just leave in free agency next summer.
So, if the Knicks truly want to cut costs, then trading Bridges might be their smartest option. Because by no means can they afford to let Towns slip through their fingers.
Brunson and Towns run everything. That’s the Knicks’ offense. Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are important, too, but the Brunson-KAT pick-and-roll is the most important action in their deck.
Plus, with how little big-man depth the Knicks have, they truly cannot afford to frustrate Towns to the point where he even considers leaving.
The harsh reality of the situation is that the Knicks have adequate wing depth. Anunoby and Hart are both high-end starters (and then some), and they have guys like Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara ready to play solid bench minutes.
Losing Bridges would be a tough pill to swallow, but it would be nothing compared to losing Towns. They just cannot have that become reality.
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