Hornets’ perfect Karl-Anthony Towns trade offer as Knicks flail

Is it time to sound the panic alarm in New York? Perhaps. The New York Knicks appeared to have figured things out in December, with the Knicks hitting their stride — culminating in their triumph in the NBA Cup. But since then, the Knicks have been in free fall. They have gone just 8-11 since hoisting the NBA Cup trophy in Las Vegas, and they only recently snapped their losing skid against a Brooklyn Nets team that they should be beating handily anyway.

There has been some noise regarding a potential blockbuster trade for the Knicks, with Karl-Anthony Towns giving way. Towns has not been as good this year as he was last year, and part of that has been due to his lesser involvement in head coach Mike Brown’s offense.

In recent games, the Knicks have not been very pleased with Towns’ effort (fans won’t soon forget how he just lied down on the ground for what seemed like a good minute in their recent loss to the Sacramento Kings), and he hasn’t helped whatsoever in combating the team’s tendency to get outhustled and outmuscled.

Now, even though the Knicks are reportedly shopping Towns, that is not a guarantee that he will be playing for a new team when the dust settles on the trade deadline come the fifth of February. But it’s simply due diligence for them to try and feel out what they can get for a star player with clear defensive deficiencies, especially when’s going to make $57.1 million next year with a player option worth $61 million the year after that.

The Charlotte Hornets have reportedly taken interest in Towns, and here’s what it would take to get him from the Knicks in a blockbuster trade.

Knicks get spare parts and role players from Hornets for Karl-Anthony Towns

Knicks acquire: Miles Bridges, Collin Sexton, Tidjane Salaun, Ryan Kalkbrenner, 2027 first-round pick (from MIA)

Hornets acquire: Karl-Anthony Towns, Pacome Dadiet

Why Knicks do this trade

The Knicks have to know that the reality in the NBA these days is that All-Star-level players with contract situations like that of Towns don’t command as much on the trade market as they used to. Towns, thanks to his supermax arrangement with the Minnesota Timberwolves way back when, is going to be making 35 percent of the cap for the next two seasons.

And with Towns not being the level of player who can be the best player on a championship team (only a handful of players in the NBA are anyway), teams have been hesitant to commit such a huge portion of the salary cap to someone like him.

The trade market as of late is also very telling; Trae Young only netted the Atlanta Hawks CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, and he’s a four-time All-Star in his own right. Young was also the face of the franchise. For the Hawks to have gotten only those two spare parts means that the market is very cold on one-way players.

Towns is not a one-way player in the same way Young is. But he’s never been the best rim-protector for a center, and there’s no coincidence that a team was most successful with him when he was paired up with a more intimidating paint presence.

There’s a merit for the Knicks to try and open up some sort of cap room over the next few seasons to try and surround their Jalen Brunson-led core with more role players who fit instead of devoting a significant portion of their player payroll to a single player.

Here is where the Hornets’ potential offer makes sense. Bridges is making just $25 million this year and around $22 million for next year, and his contract is so easy to trade away, giving them flexibility. For the meantime, he can slot into the four for the Knicks, with Mitchell Robinson reclaiming his starting spot.

New York has also been on the market for a guard, per reports, and someone like Collin Sexton could make sense. Sexton provides some scoring punch and grit off the bench, and he’s another ballhandler who’s never going to be afraid of the moment. He also provides more insurance for Brunson, who tends to pick up some knocks here and there.

Salaun and Kalkbrenner are on rookie-scale contracts, and they have been productive for the Hornets this season. Getting those young contributors on cheap deals helps the Knicks build something more sustainable under this restrictive CBA landscape. Salaun has been figuring stuff out and he is a versatile forward who has considerable offensive potential. Kalkbrenner has been swatting shots as if he’s been in the league for over a decade.

The 2027 first-round pick from the Miami Heat is lottery-protected, but since the Hornets are already giving two solid young prospects as well as two solid supporting players, that should be more than enough as the price for someone making as much money as Towns is.

Why the Hornets do this trade

It may not seem that way, but the Hornets have been very good this season when healthy. Whenever Charlotte has the duo of LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel, they have won more often than they’ve lost (they have a 12-10 record with that duo). Charlotte has also been receiving solid play from Brandon Miller, and they have such an excellent core from positions one through three that a major frontcourt addition could take this team to the next level.

Playoff contention is well within reach for the Hornets, and someone like Towns would help legitimize this team even further. Towns should come in as the team’s power forward, with Moussa Diabate partnering with him in the frontcourt, and in small-ball outfits, Grant Williams could pair up with him in a five-out setup.

The Hornets, despite having a 16-28 record, have close to a positive net rating. Towns would give the Charlotte a better failsafe for their offense that currently ranks within the top 10 in the NBA, as his inside-out game could be exactly what the team needs to diversify their perimeter-centric attack led by Ball, Knueppel, and Miller.

With the Hornets deploying incredible shot-makers from the perimeter, having someone who can step out and make threes as well as play physical ball in the paint is perfect — making Towns a prime trade target.

Losing Bridges is a long time coming. Sexton is inevitably going to be moved since he’s in the final year of his contract anyway. What would sting is losing Salaun, a lottery pick in 2024, and Kalkbrenner, a steal as the 34th overall pick in 2025.

Salaun has been taking plenty of strides under head coach Charles Lee in his sophomore season. He’s become more of a team player, and he’s embracing the dirty work — his recent double-double is an indication of this. He’s only 20 years of age as well. But Towns is a perennial double-double and All-NBA threat, and as improved as Salaun is, it would be a miracle if he even sniffs the level of player Towns is.

Kalkbrenner is an excellent shot-blocker, and he’s automatic when he gets the ball near the hoop. His inclusion may end up being the sticking point of this potential trade — that’s how well-liked he is by the Hornets franchise.

But it takes talent to get talent in return, and the Hornets have the space anyway to make a splash considering that Miller and Knueppel are still on rookie contracts. Miller will be up for an extension soon, however, and the time is now for the Hornets to try and acquire an All-Star to add to their burgeoning core.

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