The New York Knicks are preparing for another deep playoff run this offseason by adding depth following their Eastern Conference finals loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks are positioned for another successful season with Jalen Brunson leading the way in a wide-open Eastern Conference. However, they could still make another blockbuster deal after trading for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
Rohan Raman of SI.com compiled a three-team trade that would send Towns to the Jazz, netting the Knicks three players in return.
Here’s Raman’s proposed trade:
New York receives: Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Walker Kessler
Utah receives: Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacome Dadiet, 2026 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick swap, 2032 first-round pick swap
Atlanta receives: Tyler Kolek
While the Hawks would also need to include a low-cost player like Vit Krejci or Mouhamed Gueye to make this trade work, the blockbuster deal would certainly shake things up for the Knicks.
Markkanen has been involved in trade speculation for quite some time, and he would have the chance to play for a contending team in this scenario. The 7-footer appeared in just 47 regular-season games in the 2024-25 campaign, during which he averaged 19.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game.
While Towns is a far better player on the offensive end, Kessler would be a clear upgrade defensively. The former first-round pick has spent the first three years of his career with the Jazz, during which he has averaged 9.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.2 assists across 25.4 minutes per game.
With Utah boasting more young talent at point guard in Isaiah Collier and Walter Clayton Jr., trading George would also make plenty of sense. The 21-year-old would likely step in as the Knicks’ top backup point guard behind Brunson.
