Among league insiders, the Knicks\u2019 loyalty to CAA has been one of the strongest undercurrents of the NBA landscape. The Knicks spent more money toward one player agency than any team in the NBA<\/a> this season, funneling nearly $130 million to CAA clients Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson. The ties between Towns and William \u201cWorldwide Wes\u201d Wesley, Rose\u2019s right-hand man in the Knicks\u2019 front office, go back over a decade. And then there\u2019s the future of Tom Thibodeau, another long-time CAA client, who expertly engineered a series win over the Boston Celtics, but fell short of the NBA Finals for the 10th time in 10 postseason appearances as an NBA head coach.<\/p>\n Upgrading the Knicks<\/a> will test those time-honored bonds. If the franchise wants to end the fifth-longest active title drought in the NBA, it will probably mean parting with one or more of those cherished clients.<\/p>\n It almost certainly would be the case if they want any chance in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this summer.<\/p>\n The Knicks’ Big Five was exposed against the Pacers. (Photo by Gregory Shamus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n (Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)The Towns conundrum<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that Towns, a Jersey native, wears the Knicks\u2019 orange-and-blue jersey with pride. He powered through a knee injury in the Eastern Conference finals, averaging 24.8 points and 12.2 rebounds while keeping his foul tendencies in check for much of the series. His scoring surges, particularly in Game 5, carried the Knicks for long stretches.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But he couldn\u2019t defend. The Indiana Pacers preyed on the glaring weakness all series. He was noticeably absent in transition. On the perimeter, he was hopeless. In the paint, he was punchless. In the six games, the 7-foot Towns registered one block. It\u2019s the first time since blocks became an official stat in the 1970s that a center registered one block or fewer in the conference finals while playing at least 200 minutes in the series, per Stathead.com<\/a> tracking. That can\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n All season long, Towns anchored the Knicks\u2019 vaunted starting lineup featuring Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, and Anunoby, but the Pacers absolutely shredded them in the Eastern Conference finals. So much so that the notoriously stubborn Thibodeau was forced to pull the plug and move Mitchell Robinson into the starting lineup in Game 3.<\/p>\n The fact is the Knicks just spent $152 million on a lineup that yielded the second-worst defense in the conference finals since NBA lineup tracking began in 2008. The lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby and Towns hemorrhaged 126.1 points per 100 possessions to the Pacers, the second-most points allowed per possession among the 63 lineups with at least 50 minutes played in the last 18 conference finals.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The only conference finals lineup that was torched to a larger degree was the 2016 Toronto Raptors defense \u2014 a lineup that was promptly overhauled the following offseason. It\u2019s hard to imagine the Knicks avoiding a similar overhaul and still getting to the Finals one day. This season, the Knicks\u2019 Big Five made a collective $152 million, making it one of the most expensive units in the league. Next season, the bill will only swell more, when the Knicks will pay out $172 million to keep together that five-man group, which was outscored by a collective 31 points this postseason.<\/p>\n The root of the problem is that Brunson and Towns are one-way superstars. To get to the Finals, a team can cover up one of those defensive liabilities, but it\u2019s almost impossible to hide both. It\u2019s easier to shield a point guard on that end of the floor, but not a 7-footer who plays like he\u2019s a foot shorter. As a reminder, Towns went the entire conference finals last year without registering a single block \u2014 and the Wolves subsequently traded away their former No. 1 overall pick.<\/p>\n And so Rose and the Knicks will have to think long and hard about breaking up their Big Five. Here are three trade proposals to consider this summer.<\/p>\n The Giannis trade<\/p>\n New York receives: Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Milwaukee receives: Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Kolek, Washington\u2019s 2026 protected first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps (2026 and 2030).<\/p>\n You thought convincing Brunson to take a sweetheart deal was hard? That\u2019s nothing compared to what Rose would have to do to force his way into a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes and win it.<\/p>\n Convincing the two-time MVP that the Knicks are the go-to destination for him \u2014 without tampering, of course! \u2014 is the only way a trade gets done. Because Antetokounmpo certainly won\u2019t be traded to the Knicks because they have the best trade offer.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the pitch: Is there a clearer path to the Finals than on a Knicks team with Brunson?<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Think about it. Antetokounmpo is an ideal complementary star for the offensively electric but defensively challenged Brunson. The Celtics would have trouble courting the Greek Freak after Jayson Tatum suffered the same devastating injury as his current Bucks teammate Damian Lillard, a torn Achilles. Cleveland hasn\u2019t gotten out of the second-round with its core. The Pacers could make a case, but is Giannis someone who\u2019d pry his way out of Milwaukee to go to the bitter-rival Indiana? Would Indiana, which just made the Finals without him, even listen? (I would, for the record.)<\/p>\n The Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs \u2014 I could probably add a few others \u2013 would easily lap New York in trade packages, but that wouldn\u2019t matter if Antetokounmpo sees a loaded Western Conference as a minefield for championship quests.<\/p>\n The East is Giannis\u2019 safest choice. The Knicks can flaunt that they were two wins from the Finals and are armed with a wing core entering its prime to surround Antetokounmpo with help. What makes this trickier is that Giannis is an Octagon client, not a CAA one, so communicating the Knicks\u2019 vision will be challenging when the family isn\u2019t inside Antetokounmpo\u2019s circle. (Reminder: Rose\u2019s son, Sam, is Brunson\u2019s agent.)<\/p>\n But once Giannis has his eyes set on MSG, that\u2019s only half the battle. Rose then has to convince the rest of the marketplace that Antetokounmpo won\u2019t be happy or sign an extension in any non-Knick destination. Doing that will help ensure that the Knicks\u2019 offer will float to the top of the pile and be palatable for Milwaukee GM Jon Horst. The scare tactic could make organizations leery of forking over their top assets to Milwaukee.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n At this point, you\u2019re probably thinking, why in the world would Horst accept that deal? The only true first-round pick that the Knicks have to offer \u2014 the Wizards\u2019 2026 first-round pick \u2014 is top-8 protected and will turn into two future second-rounders if Washington miraculously doesn’t stink up the joint next season. The Knicks could swap their own 2026 and 2030 picks, but how valuable is that asset when the team employs Brunson and Antetokounmpo?<\/p>\n But let\u2019s look at this another way: Check out the Bucks\u2019 picks going forward. They don\u2019t have control over their next six first-round picks. Tanking is useless. If they\u2019re bad, others reap the benefits. The two best options for the Bucks are: a) to trade Antetokounmpo to New Orleans or Portland to restore their draft picks; or b) stay competitive.<\/p>\n Horst\u2019s top priority has to be getting their picks back from the Lillard and Holiday trades, but that might prove difficult considering that those picks only become more valuable if Giannis leaves. Staying competitive would be the next-best option. How many of the 15 All-NBA players will become available this offseason (and not be recovering from a torn Achilles)? Towns may prove to be the best of the lot.<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s say Rose pulls it off and (legally) convinces Antetokounmpo that New York is his best option. Let\u2019s also say that the Knicks successfully scare away the rest of his suitors.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Great. But for Rose, the hard work isn\u2019t done. Turning his back on Towns might prove to be the biggest challenge of them all.<\/p>\n The KD trade<\/p>\n Knicks receive: Kevin Durant, Richaun Holmes<\/p>\n Suns receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks\u2019 first-round swap in 2030<\/p>\n Wizards receive: Miles McBride, Josh Hart, own 2026 first (top-8 protected)<\/p>\n The Knicks add an all-time great for their title chase. Towns reunites with Devin Booker in Phoenix. The Wizards \u2026 well, they help grease the wheels.<\/p>\n The aprons make it difficult for the Suns and Knicks to swap KD for KAT straight-up due to their contracts not aligning perfectly. Hence, why Washington gets involved, adding 24-year-old Deuce McBride and regaining its full 2026 first-round pick rights in exchange for taking on Hart\u2019s contract. (As it stands now, in the unlikely event that the Wizards become a competent team next season, the Knicks would get their pick).<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The Durant fit in New York isn\u2019t as snug as Antetokounmpo, a former Defensive Player of the Year in his prime. But even at his age, he\u2019s a much better all-around defender than Towns and, perhaps more importantly, isn\u2019t on the books for an annual $57 million over the next three seasons. If Durant doesn\u2019t work out in New York, the Knicks can let him walk and have much more financial freedom. If Towns doesn\u2019t work out next season, he\u2019s still under contract for, gulp, $61 million in 2027-28.<\/p>\n Presumably, this deal doesn\u2019t happen unless Durant gives his blessing, which is no small thing. Holmes would add another center on the depth chart behind the oft-injured Robinson. Losing McBride would hurt the backcourt, but the hope here is that Durant\u2019s presence lures veterans to play at minimum contracts in pursuit of a championship. (Chris Paul, anyone?)<\/p>\n![\"INDIANAPOLIS,](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/555d1780-3f16-11f0-a1fe-eef2c4718bc0.jpeg\"\/)
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