The Golden State Warriors had some level of interest in a Karl-Anthony Towns trade prior to his move to the New York Knicks nearly two years ago, and they suddenly have a fresh reason to consider revisiting that possibility after contract reports on Wednesday.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, contract talks have hit a snag between the Knicks and Towns despite the All-Star center's major role in their drought-breaking championship only a matter of months ago.
Warriors given fresh reason to revisit Karl-Anthony Towns interest
Towns will make $57.1 million this season and has a $61 million player option for 2027-28, but would surely prefer to lock in a new deal that could be worth up to $276 million over four years.
"Talks have stagnated between the New York Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns on a contract extension, and an agreement is considered unlikely as the team begins training camp next week," Charania wrote.
If Towns can't get a max contract from the Knicks, there will be up to eight teams with projected cap space next summer who might be willing to pay the 30-year-old what he's after. The Warriors could be one of those teams unless they use the expiring contracts of Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and/or Kristaps Porzingis before February's mid-season trade deadline.
The thought of Towns with Golden State has always been an interesting one, and seemingly one the current front office pondered less than two years ago. The six-time All-Star's stature has only grown since then, especially with his impact and improved defense during this year's playoffs as the Knicks won the title.
Warriors will have to hope for unforeseen circumstances to arrive
Whether it's prior to the mid-season trade deadline or in free agency next year, the Warriors will have to try and prey on uncertain situations elsewhere in the league. The current free agency class doesn't provide a whole lot of optimism, but that can change if those with player options like Towns opt out of their deal.
The idea of Towns leaving New York so soon after the championship is hard to fathom, yet is also the reality of today's CBA era where even the reigning champions have no interest in diving head first into the second apron.
It's the sort of situation the Warriors are hoping to capitalize on in the next 12 months, particularly if their gamble on the injury-prone Porzingis doesn't pay off over the course of this season.
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