There's plenty of talk about the New York Knicks trading away Karl-Anthony Towns right now. And while this team has certainly struggled in recent weeks, making such a move would be ill-advised. It's still too soon for the Knicks to give up on a player this talented that they traded for less than 18 months ago.
Making a bold move and dealing away KAT might seem like the "ahead of the curve" decision that would have the potential to put New York on the trajectory they're hoping for, but I wouldn't be so sure. There's several reasons why moving on from Towns so early would likely serve to bite the Knicks in the back rather than ultimately boost them.
The first being the vision this team had when they traded for him. New York's identity might have changed since Mike Brown came to town, but that doesn't mean it's time to abandon everything that made them successful under the old regime.
The Knicks can't give up on Karl-Anthony Towns too soon
This team pulled off an excellent trade for KAT when they gave Julius Randle to Minnesota. It's been less than a year and a half since that deal was made. Do you really think it's time to pivot already? There's a case to be made, but it's not a particularly strong one.
There are plenty of Timberwolves fans that are wishing they still had number 32 representing their team right about now. Towns might have his deficiencies, and his defense is definitely a weak point at the moment. But he's far too talented a player to give up on after only one playoff run with him.
And that's the other big point here: roster consistency matters a ton in this league. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors (I could go on) all won championships this decade after having their core go through multiple playoff runs together. Sacrificing Towns to make some big swing for a player that may or may not work in the grand scheme of things would be a very risky move with a low chance of success.
Plenty of people have griped that you can't have KAT as the best player on a championship team. But the truth is, New York is using him in the same way Minnesota did: as a complement to their franchise star. This is the ideal environment for Towns' talent to thrive. The Knicks don't need to trade him, they just need to remain patient. The talent is there, and this rough spot will get ironed out soon enough.