How creative are the New York Knicks willing to get during the offseason? After making a few impressive signings, Mike Brown expected to be the next head coach, and some other decisions that will likely be made over the next few weeks to months, it's possible that the Knicks are just getting started.
Some have suggested that the team could make an even bigger deal over the offseason, including a potential trade of Karl-Anthony Towns. In a recent trade pitch from Sports Illustrated, the Knicks would move Towns in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings.
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Josh Hart
New York Knicks Receive: Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Kobe Bufkin, Vit Krejci, 2030 1st-round pick (via ATL, lottery-protected)
Sacramento Kings Receive: Towns, 2026 1st-round pick (via NYK, unprotected), 2030 1st round pick (via NYK, unprotected)
“They can't realistically lose Hart without getting an excellent rebounder in return and Sabonis fits that bill. He led the NBA in TREB% by grabbing 22.4% of available rebounds last season, which led the NBA. Sabonis might be a good fit specifically for New York because they can deploy him on offense while having Mitchell Robinson as a rim protector to cover up for his defensive liabilities,” they wrote.
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This trade is intriguing, as Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray would be decent additions. However, Sabonis isn't exactly a great defender, and he doesn't shoot the 3-point shot.
That doesn't mean he can't work with Jalen Brunson and the rest of the Knicks offense, but the fit isn't as clean as it might seem.
Giving up Towns and Hart would also be a bit questionable, just given what they bring to the locker room.