Less than a year after arriving, New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns may be closer to the trading block than anyone could've anticipated. Towns turned in a season worthy of All-NBA praise, but when the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo suddenly entered New York's realm of possibility.
As the Knicks find themselves reeling from a 115-93 loss to the Boston Celtics, it's becoming harder to keep Towns out of a potential trade offer for Antetokounmpo.
After enduring yet another first-round exit, speculation is mounting that Antetokounmpo will request a trade this summer. In the event that such transpires, few teams will be better equipped to complete a trade for the two-time MVP than the Knicks.
Despite the blockbuster trades for Mikal Bridges and Towns in 2024, New York still has draft capital to complement quality players and contracts in a potential offer.
One of the easiest paths toward completing a deal would be to swap Towns for Antetokounmpo. Towns is due to make just over $53.1 million in 2025-26, while Antetokoumpo is owed just over $54.1 million—thus closing the gap more easily than combining other lesser salaries.
Thankfully for Towns, the Knicks hold a 2-1 lead over the Celtics—and a series win could save him from being traded for Antetokoumpo if he thrives along the way.
Karl-Anthony Towns for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Towns can prevent it
In a perfect world, New York would build a symbiotic big three with Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, and Towns. All three possess the skill set to be able to play off of one another, with Antetokounmpo even easing the burden of some of Towns' defensive shortcomings.
For as intriguing as that may be, there's just as much to be said about the Knicks' current starting lineup swapping out Towns for Antetokounmpo.
Brunson, Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Antetokounmpo would have a chance to emerge as the best defensive lineup in the NBA. With Antetokounmpo good for an almost guaranteed 30 points and Brunson operating as the best closer in the Association, it would also have elite offensive potential.
Perhaps at least one of the three wings would need to be included in a potential deal, but Towns may be the best player any team would realistically offer.
The validity of either trade will be determined by how Towns plays during the remainder of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He's thus far performed at an admirable level, but the explosive scoring proficiency that makes him a regular season star has been stifled by a greater emphasis being placed on efficiency over volume.
Towns has five games with at least 20 points, but he also has four with 17 or less, three with fewer than 15, and he shot 5-of-18 in a blowout loss during one of the 20-point outings.
To make matters worse, New York is 4-1 when Towns scores 20-plus points and 2-2 when he fails to. In other words: The Knicks are playing dominant basketball when he's aggressive as a scorer, but they just can't trust him to do play with that mentality.
If Towns can't right the proverbial ship, then trading him for Antetokounmpo becomes a significantly more attractive venture for the Knicks this summer.