The Philadelphia 76ers took a surprising Hail Mary shot at the Boston Celtics, attempting to trade for their star forward Jaylen Brown. Somehow, they were successful.
Looking at the New York Knicks, the NBA just might witness a similar situation brewing, as the latest Karl-Anthony Towns update suggests that a contract extension isn't near. If I had to guess, it sounds like Towns' future in New York is seriously in jeopardy. Mike Gansey should be making a call over to NYC.
Make the call, take the shot
Before the Knicks landed KAT, they were rumored to be interested in Joel Embiid. Embiid has ties to the executive Leon Rose. When the Knicks realized the Sixers weren't going to budge on Embiid and had a chance to pivot to Towns, they did it. Their bold bet paid off, as Towns contributed to a Knicks championship in 2026.
But money will always play a part and potentially complicate a situation. The Knicks are dishing out plenty of dollars to several players, and know they have to extend their superstar guard, Jalen Brunson, soon enough.
In addition to Shams Charania's report, in which he states that contract negotiations between Towns and the Knicks have stalled, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports that the Knicks want Towns to take a discount. They could be on pace to frustrate the center to a point of no return.
While Philadelphia fans might be bracing for a season full of Joel Embiid trade rumors for Anthony Davis, the real target should be Towns in New York. That's not to say that the Knicks are guaranteed to still have interest in Embiid at this stage, considering his continued struggles to stay healthy, but if that door is open, then the Sixers should at least see what it takes to pounce.
Since joining the Knicks, Towns has appeared in at least 72 games in each of the past two seasons. He posted averages of 22.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He also shot 39.5% from three, while taking 4.4 attempts per game.
The Knicks likely aren't ready to start fielding calls for Towns--and they probably aren't going to want to think about taking on a 32-year-old Embiid, who has a three-year, $187 million deal--but there are breaking points in the NBA. Seeing a KAT trade scenario shouldn't be seen as far-fetched until a new deal is in place. And while a KAT-Embiid swap seems like a pipe dream, just remember that getting Jaylen Brown off a division rival would've been in the same category before it happened.
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