The New York Knicks got a much-needed dominant victory on Wednesday, a 54-point trouncing of the Brooklyn Nets. The victory was their largest margin of victory in the history of the Knicks franchise.
Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns has low trade value
Before that, they had lost nine of their previous 11 games, which had jumpstarted trade rumors with several of their players. One of those players was Karl-Anthony Towns, who is having a noticeable down season after making All-NBA third team last season.
Towns was once viewed as a major asset, someone who could land the team a superstar if put on the table. Now, however, that mindset has changed, as his down season has drastically affected his market value.
Fred Katz of The Athletic asked sources around the league what they view Towns’ value as, and a lot of them had a rather underwhelming response.
“If you’re gonna trade KAT…I’ve spoken to people around league: Where do you think his value’s at? Most common response: Look at the Trae Young deal,” Katz said (h/t New York Basketball on X).
Towns has plummeted his trade value
Trae Young, who was once a perennial All-Star in the league, was recently dealt to the Washington Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. The value he once had was severely diminished as a result of his poor play on the court, and the Hawks couldn’t even get a first-round pick in exchange for the guard.
Towns has had an inconsistent season on offense, and continues to be a liability on the defensive side. That has caused his value to plummet, so the Knicks might not get a favorable return if they decide to move him before the trade deadline.
New York will have big decisions to make leading up to the deadline. It will be interesting what they decide to about Towns, as his days as a Knick could be numbered.