The New York Knicks, after adding stars last offseason, failed to make the NBA Finals and could make more drastic moves this summer.
The New York Knicks were eliminated from the NBA playoffs, falling to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks added Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges this offseason with hopes of snapping a 26-year drought since their last Finals appearance, although they fell short.
With a longer-than-expected offseason staring them down, the Knicks have been encouraged to trade away one of their better players. Coming off his third All-NBA season, Towns is one of the best scoring and shooting centers in the NBA, although his defense is a weak point in his game, and his fit with the Knicks, which looked solid in the regular season, is once again being questioned.
New York has been urged to trade Towns this summer, and three landing spots stand out.
Trading KAT should be priority #1 for the Knicks.
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 1, 2025
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Phoenix Suns could trade for Towns
After missing the NBA playoffs despite, on paper, boasting the best Big Three in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns are expected to trade Kevin Durant and explore their options with Bradley Beal.
Durant has long been linked to the Knicks, and he could finally play for the franchise after an offseason trade this summer. The Suns need a center, ideally a rim-protector, and Towns doesn’t quite fit the bill, although a starting lineup of Towns, Beal, Booker, Tyus Jones, and Royce O’Neal should be able to compete in the Western Conference.
Full Mock Trade Details:
Suns receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacôme DadietKnicks receive: Kevin Durant, Oso Ighodaro
The Suns are above the second apron, so both rarely used rookies have to be included in the deal to balance salary, but this is pretty close to a straight-up swap.
The Knicks can run it back with a lineup of scorers like Jalen Brunson and Durant, and pair defensive-minded wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges in the starting lineup alongside center Mitchell Robinson, who thrives when he doesn’t have to carry an offensive load.
Josh Hart could come off the bench, which is likely a better role for him, anyway, and Towns would be reunited with Booker, who was one of his college teammates at Kentucky.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesGolden State Warriors bolster title hopes in trade for Towns
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers almost always find themselves on lists like this, although (spoiler) the Lakers don’t make the cut here.Â
In the playoffs against both the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, it was clear that the Warriors needed more size. Towns is one of the better rebounders in the league, and would add a third scoring threat next to Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry.
However, in order to take on Towns’ $53.1 million salary for next season, the Warriors would have to cut ties with a franchise icon.
Full Mock Trade Details:
Warriors receive: Karl-Anthony TownsKnicks receive: Draymond Green, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, 2027 first-round pick
This trade goes all-in on winning Curry one last title. Much like Green, Towns’ contract lines up well with the remainder of Butler and Curry’s peaks, giving the Dubs a three-year title window.
The Warriors, if they make this trade, would likely have to repair its relationship with Jonathan Kuminga and re-sign Gary Payton II in an effort to bolster their defense around Butler after losing both Moody and Green.
The Knicks, in this deal, lose a star for added depth, giving their second unit some much-needed talent. Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Green, and Robinson would likely start, and Miles McBride would be joined by Moody, Hield, and Hart on the second unit, allowing the Knicks to compete with the Pacers’ depth next season.
The Warriors, meanwhile, make a desperate move to address an area of need in the final years of Curry’s career, and it comes at an emotional cost.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty ImagesDetroit Pistons could steal Towns from their playoff rival
The Detroit Pistons have arrived. Cade Cunningham is an All-NBA guard and has proven himself as someone who can lead a team to the playoffs, and Detroit took the Knicks to six games in the first round.
While Cunningham is surrounded by young talent like Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson, and even Jalen Duren, the Pistons don’t have a scoring threat down low. A deal with the Knicks could change that.
Full Mock Trade Details:
Pistons receive: Karl-Anthony TownsKnicks receive: Ron Holland, Tobias Harris, Jalen Duren, Marcus Sasser
This trade puts the Pistons in a clear spot. The Knicks add some depth and financial flexibility, as Harris and Duren will both be free agents after 2026.
The Knicks get to bolster their bench unit, which needs to be a priority, and add another excellent rebounder to come off the bench behind Robinson, and the Pistons, meanwhile, shed some salary.
That allows them to re-sign Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schroder, rounding out their depth. On top of that, Ivey will return from breaking his leg over the winter, and the Pistons can trot out a starting five of Cunningham, Ivey, Thompson, Towns, and Isaiah Stewart, a floor-spacing big in his own right who is elite on the defensive end.
Beasley, Schroder, and Hardaway Jr. will lead a bench unit and hope to get deeper in the playoffs than they did last season, although the likelihood of the Knicks trading Towns to another Eastern team seems low, despite Detroit’s ability to put together a solid package.