Knicks Shut Down Karl-Anthony Towns Trade Rumors

The New York Knicks reportedly have no intention of considering a Karl-Anthony Towns trade, contrary to chatter that the franchise could explore the possibility of moving the sharpshooting big man to shore up their defense. Per Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, the Knicks don’t plan on any sweeping changes to their roster by the Feb. 5 trade deadline — despite a 2-8 record in January. “The Knicks are not looking to do a deal involving Karl-Anthony Towns,” Mannix reported on his “NBA on NBC” podcast. “They’re not looking to do a deal involving Mikal Bridges. They’re frankly not looking to trade any of their core guys, and that includes Mitchell Robinson, who made some interesting social media posts as of late, which I’m told is just Mitch being Mitch.” Knicks Trade Deadline Plans Mannix’s Knicks sources relayed that the franchise plans to “ride it out” with the same core roster through the 2025-26 season, and possibly reevaluate the situation over the summer. The Leon Rose-led front office is only eyeing marginal changes by using the contracts of Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadie to try to add bench depth. “The two areas I’ve been told the Knicks are prioritizing over the next few weeks are ball-handling and perimeter shooting,” Mannix reported. “Some of the guys Knicks are willing to trade are Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet. There’s a lot of leaguewide interest in Deuce McBride, but there’s also internal interest in New York [to keep him]. He’s also on a very team-friendly contract, and as such, a very valuable piece. The Knicks are not looking to trade Deuce McBride.” Mannix noted that Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado are the two players on top of the Knicks trade target list. “Knicks are targeting bench reserves, three-point shooters — guys who can help with some of that ball-handling responsibility.” Blamed for Knicks Defensive Issues The chatter of a Karl-Anthony Towns trade has been somewhat understandable, with many analysts and fans blaming the former No. 1 overall pick for New York’s prevailing defensive issues. Mike Brown’s team ranks 27th in defensive rating in January, conceding 118.4 points per 100 possessions while routinely losing to sub-.500 teams. The latest loss came to the lowly Dallas Mavericks in Monday’s MLK Day clash, when Towns and the Knicks allowed Cooper Flagg and Co. to score a staggering 75 first-half points, including 44 in the second quarter. With Towns on the floor, the Knicks are giving 30.9 paint points per game in January and nearly 120 points per 100 possessions. Even more worryingly, opponents are shooting 38.7% from deep with KAT on the floor, due to his inability to switch onto perimeter players in pick-and-roll situations. To that end, the Knicks have been one of the worst teams at defending the pick-and-roll all season long, conceding 52.2% to the roller and 45.3% to the ball-handler in such actions.