As their number two behind Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns is central to the Knicks’ plans. Lately, though, he hasn’t been central to how games are ending. Over the past week, a new strategy has emerged from New York’s coaching staff. When the screws tighten, their most effective lineups have often come with Towns watching from the bench.
James L. Edwards III of The Athletic lays out the case. During New York’s recent three-game win streak, the Knicks have played their best late-game basketball Towns off the floor. Coach Mike Brown has leaned on defense-heavy closing groups built around Brunson and Mitchell Robinson, as evidenced in last night’s win over Sacramento. After a three-quarter slog, a KAT-free lineup finally created separation down the stretch. Karl did hit two three-pointers to start the final frame, but those were only brief glimmers in what was a muddy performance.
Edwards notes that the early lineup data backs up what we have seen on the court. Brunson lineups surrounded by four strong defenders have been effective in limited minutes, while combinations featuring both Brunson and Towns continue to expose their defensive inadequacies. The sample sizes are small, but the consistency of the trend has raised real questions about fit. And, don’t forget the trade deadline is a week from tomorrow. (Read Edwards’ piece here.)
Jared Schwartz of the New York Post picked up on the same theme. He focuses on how familiar Towns sitting late has become. Against Sacramento, Towns didn’t play the final 6:51 as Brown again closed with Brunson, Miles McBride, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Robinson. Can you blame Mike? That lineup clearly balances offensive and defensive strengths.
“He saw what he saw. We got a win, that’s the most important thing,” Towns said about his early exit.
Brown described the decision as situational. On a number of occasions he has made clear that he’s comfortable riding whichever lineup is working, even if it means putting extremely well compensated starters on the bench.
“At the end of the game, we had a group out on the floor that was playing well. It was a tight ballgame, so I just rode that group to the end of the game,” Brown said. “During the flow of the game, you find a group of players that you feel are playing well together, and you roll with it as long as you can.”
To that point: in a separate Post piece, Schwartz examined how different the Knicks really look under Brown. As he explains, the changes are more subtle than sweeping. Three-point volume is up, but improvements in pace, ball movement, and bench production—all areas identified as weak spots last offseason—have been modest. To the surprise of some, the team is a lot closer to last season stylistically than expected, with Brown turning more often to Thibsian lineups.
In Schwartz’s article, ESPN analyst Tim Legler points to Towns’ offensive regression as the most noticeable shift. “For me, the biggest difference right now is actually the fact that I don’t feel as good about Karl-Anthony Towns most nights,” says Legs.
He also frames Towns’ usage as a signal of offensive health. “I was hoping to see more nights this year where Karl-Anthony Towns is your leading scorer. That would tell me that [Jalen] Brunson has got a lower usage rate… that would be a good thing for them offensively.”
Towns has played 11 seasons between Minnesota and New York, with career averages of 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 688 regular-season games. He was selected to five All-Star games, and won the Rookie of the Year award. This season, his first under coach Mike Brown, KAT has averaged 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, while posting the worst shooting percentages of his career.
With owner James Dolan declaring his championship expectations . . . and KAT and Brunson still not gelling . . . and KAT and Coach Brown apparently at odds . . . all that has fueled nationwide speculation about whether New York will (or can) move their expensive big man by the trade deadline. This season he will earn $53 M. Next year’s salary is $57 M. In 2027, when he has a player option, it rises to $61 M. That’s a lot of money for a team to bring onto their books.
Michael Pina of The Ringer sees the trade deadline as a pressure point for New York. Working within the constraints of the league’s restrictive CBA, Pina frames Towns as the clearest source of tension on the roster, citing his efficiency dip, hefty contract, and uneven adjustment to Brown’s system. (The piece also mentions Brunson’s paradoxical impact as an offensive engine whose defensive limitations complicate postseason aspirations. But ain’t no way Leon Rose trades Cap, or he’ll get tossed off the nearest bridge.)
Pina stops short of calling for drastic action, but outlines an odd trade proposal. His idea is to send KAT to Milwaukee for Myles Turner, Kyle (bleech) Kuzma, and a top-five pick . . . in 2031. Start scouting JV squads now! And shouldn’t we be focusing on a different Buck?
Writes Pina:
If your first reaction to this was “That makes no sense,” you are 100 percent correct. A blockbuster trade between New York and Milwaukee that doesn’t include an increasingly melodramatic Giannis Antetokounmpo would belie rational thought. The Bucks should absolutely not do this. But the Bucks should absolutely not have done a bunch of other stuff they thought was a good idea, so let’s operate in that reality for a minute.
He describes KAT as “an increasingly problematic defender who will turn 30 in August and seems to be walking off an ankle injury once a week.” However, he also points out that the Knicks are better defensively when Kat is on the floor without Brunson.
The article argues that the need for change isn’t about talent. No one will argue that Karl has a prodigious scoring ability for a big man, after all. But the fit just isn’t it in New York. Read Pina here.
For now, New York’s brass remains typically mum. You can be sure their phones are hot, though, and the prospect of superstar trades has the league excited. Superagent Rich Paul couldn’t help inserting himself into the mix, too. TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott chatted with Dexter Henry about it on the New York Post Sports YouTube channel.
“All four people I talked to didn’t agree on whether Rich Paul would represent Giannis,” said Henry, “but all four agreed that the mission is to get Giannis out of Milwaukee.”
Given their similarities in contract and star power, it is conceivable that Towns would be included in a trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo is due $54 M this season, $58 M next year, and $62 M in 2027-28. Last offseason, Antetokounmpo expressed interest in coming to New York. According to Abbott, that interest persists. “One person told me Giannis’s preferred list is three teams: the Heat, the Wolves, and the Knicks.”
The Knicks head to Toronto tonight for a SEGABABA, with sole possession of third place on the line. If Towns is serious about working things out in New York, he has a chance to prove it in one of the season’s biggest games. If Mike Brown again decides he can’t trust Towns in crunch time, however, it may be what ultimately triggers a trade. Stay tuned.
And Go Knicks.
Cole Huff