The New York Knicks had a rough Saturday night. They lost to the Lakers in a contest where OG Anunoby suffered a non-contract foot injury. New York sits third in the East, and it felt like they may stand pat at the deadline. Anunoby’s injury could change that, but it was the blockbuster trade that turned things even further sideways.
Jalen Brunson’s former franchise traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers in a three-team deal. Anthony Davis is headed to the Mavericks in a move nobody saw coming. Shams Charania reported even LeBron James had zero idea this move was happening. It had implications across the league and turned the NBA upside down.
The Knicks made a blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns during the preseason that nobody saw coming. It looked like New York crushed that deal until the Doncic trade went down. Now, Leon Rose and the front office may be reconsidering.
Luka Doncic trade could cause Knicks to regret Karl-Anthony Towns deal
New York gave up an All-Star forward, a standout role player, a first-round pick, and two seconds to get KAT from Minnesota. The Knicks had a massive need at center and were eager to chase a championship. They had just parted with five first-round picks to land Mikal Bridges. New York was all-in, but that eagerness may have backfired.
The Lakers gave up an All-NBA candidate, two inconsistent role players, and a first-round pick to get Luka. Anthony Davis is significantly better than Julius Randle, but it is arguably a similar return for a player who has been first-team All-NBA for five straight years.
Doncic and Brunson were friends and teammates on the Mavericks to begin their careers. The duo helped Dallas to the conference finals in 2022 before JB left in free agency to join the Knicks. There certainly would have been interest in teaming back up in the Big Apple. It appears Mavs general manager Nico Harrison had his sights set on Anthony Davis in this deal, but New York has to wonder.
No team is passing on a 25-year-old who is already a top-five player in the league. To even have the shot to acquire Luka has to have multiple franchises sitting with some regret. Would things be different if New York had not traded all their assets for Bridges and Towns? It is impossible to know.
Luka Doncic is now the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. His former teammate is his head coach and LeBron James is his co-star. Those are sentences nobody would have believed on Jan. 31.
The New York Knicks missed a shot at getting one of the five best players in the world. That alone has to leave them with a small amount of regret no matter how good Karl-Anthony Towns has been since joining their franchise.