New York Knicks Shopping Karl Anthony Towns Amid Meltdown

Merlin sees the Knicks quietly shopping Karl-Anthony Towns after a rough stretch following their NBA Cup win. New York has spoken with teams like Charlotte, Memphis and Orlando, and a proposed three-team swap would send Towns to Orlando while the Knicks get Wendell Carter Jr., Haywood Highsmith and Jalen Suggs. The front office faces real hurdles: Towns’ value is low, the team sits near the second apron and they have no first-round picks to sweeten deals. As Fred Katz put it, "Where do you think his value's at?" with many comparing the market to the Trae Young return. Merlin senses the trade winds favor caution. The proposed return boosts defense and depth but brings injury and salary risk, while Orlando would gamble on a short-term offensive lift and tax relief. Expect talks to continue, but a clean, splashy trade is not simple.