Knicks Predicted to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns to Jazz in Offseason Blockbuster to Bolster Depth originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New York Knicks are coming off a successful season that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
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Despite this, New York elected to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau after their playoff exit and eventually replaced him with Mike Brown.
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They then signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency to upgrade their bench which was a massive problem for them last season.
It is clear that the Knicks entered the offseason looking to upgrade their bench and Sports Illustrated’s Rohan Raman recently proposed a mock trade that would help them upgrade both their bench and their lineup by trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Utah Jazz.
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New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In the trade, the Knicks would send Towns, Pacome Dadiet and three first-round picks to the Jazz for Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and Keyonte George.
The Atlanta Hawks are the third team in Raman’s mock trade and they would acquire Tyler Kolek from New York.
While it would be a tough decision to move on from Towns along with three first-round picks, this trade could be a solid one for the Knicks.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen brings the ball upcourt against the San Antonio Spurs at Delta Center on March 27, 2024.Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Markkanen is a great scorer and defender who would bring even more size to their starting lineup next to Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
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New York would also add a solid young center in Kessler, who they have been linked to over the past few seasons, who would give them a major boost on the defensive end in their frontcourt.
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For George, he would be a solid young addition to the Knicks’ bench behind Brunson who would provide them with a solid scorer and playmaker.
While this trade could work out well for New York, they would be giving up a ton in return and the Jazz may want even more in a potential package as they would be giving up three of their top players.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.