As the Golden State Warriors enter their off-season, it seems as though any move might be on the table to maximize the remainder of superstar Stephen Curry's career.
However, a recent mock trade, cooked up by Jonah Kubicek of NBA Analysis, involves a swap of Warriors legend Draymond Green and New York Knicks all-star center Karl-Anthony Towns, and this, predictably, could leave fans' heads spinning.
While such a move might seem entirely out of the realm of possibility, often teams who have failed to meet expectations make desperate moves, and the Warriors and the Knicks could find an unlikely partnership through this trend.
Karl-Anthony Towns mock trade could leave fans sick
As Golden State looks to improve their roster in hopes of a deep playoff run, their biggest need lies in finding a center that can simultaneously space the floor and anchor the defense.
While very few of these types of players exist in the NBA, Towns' offensive impact cannot be denied, and he could be an ideal fit for a Warriors team that desperately needs more offense.
In the proposed trade, Golden State would add Towns to their roster in exchange of Green, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and a 2027 first-round pick.
The Knicks, after being eliminated in six games against the Indiana Pacers and firing head coach Tom Thibodeau, now will likely need to make adjustments to their roster. While the additions of Towns and Mikal Bridges last offseason made the Knicks an instant contender in the Eastern Conference, the ensuing lack of defensive capability in their starting line-up and depth on their bench led to an early playoff demise.
Therefore, the Knicks could certainly be looking to move on from Towns, who averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season.
However, in order to get the deal done financially, the Warriors would need to move on from the final two years of Green's four-year, $100 million contract, cementing the end of another legend's time in The Bay.
Through the trade, Golden State would receive the offensive star it needs to remove some of the burden off of Curry, and the Knicks, through Moody and Hield, would receive the shooting off the bench they would need to make a run at a championship.
However, trading Green, especially for someone who he has publicly disagreed with on numerous occasions, would represent another betrayal by the organization towards one of their franchise legends, leaving such a trade almost impossible to bear.
Moreover, Towns, who had a 0.1 defensive box plus-minus this season, would solve none of the Warriors' defensive needs, and losing Green, the anchor of the team's defense, would leave the team in a terrible place defensively.
Therefore, while the idea of a trade for Towns is intriguing, it is not one that Golden State should entertain by any stretch of the imagination.