Since their NBA Cup Championship, the New York Knicks have seemingly imploded, as they've gone 7-11 over the 18 games since and have now dropped behind the Boston Celtics to place third in the Eastern Conference standings.
Things have gotten so bad that there have even been reports that Leon Rose and company are now warming up to the possibility of making some sort of big, in-season move to try and save their sinking ship of a season, and, per league sources, star center Karl-Anthony Towns is considered to be a possible outbound asset.
Though the concept of parting ways with the All-NBA big man may be easier said than done, to Zach Lowe, it may be the only solution to New York's most glaring issues.
Knicks must consider idea of trading Karl-Anthony Towns
During a recent edition of The Zach Lowe Show, the eponymous host highlighted the fact that whispers of discontent between Towns and the Knicks date back to last season, where, following their Eastern Conference Finals exit, reports surfaced that many teammates and members of the coaching staff had grown frustrated with the big man's defensive efforts.
Here in his second go-around with the organization, these issues are as prevalent as ever. So much so that, with KAT on the floor, the Knicks are allowing opponents to boast a ridiculously efficient effective field goal percentage of 56.3 and are letting up a whopping 115.5 points per 100 possessions.
Lowe went on to dog the 30-year-old's continued follies in the effort and hustle department, how the Knicks have tried and failed to cover up his defensive lapses, and, most notably, the fact that "the Brunson-KAT two-man game is still not weaponized to the degree that I think it should be."
Though he acknowledged he's not quite sure what New York's plan is moving forward, he made sure to note that Towns has been a name credible sources have mentioned as a possible trade asset in past conversations, specifically during last summer's Giannis Antetokounmpo talks.
With this in mind, the veteran writer suggested that, should things continue to go south for the Knicks, the idea of the five-time All-Star being shipped out of the Big Apple shouldn't be seen as all that wild.
In fact, considering his seemingly poor fit alongside Brunson and within coach Mike Brown's scheme, there's a case to be made that his ouster could solve the lion's share of the problems New York has been facing over the past month and change.