Trade Idea: Knicks - Suns

[slightly biased bias fan]

This actually comes from Bill Simmons. Usually his trade ideas are bogus, but for me this has merit.

New York Knicks

Outgoing: Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Kolek

Incoming: Kevin Durant


Phoenix Suns

Outgoing: Kevin Durant

Incoming: Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyler Kolek

[slightly biased bias fan]

New York Knicks

Brunson
Bridges
Anunoby
Durant
Robinson


Phoenix Suns

Beal
Booker
ONeale
Dunn
Towns


***

Knicks get off Towns huge contract (61 million in 2027). Durant has gone on record stating if he was moved to a contender he would be willing to take a pay cut.

The Suns get a star centre who is close friends with Devin Booker from their time at Kentucky.

[Who]

Love it.

[Moranis]

That is a terrible trade for the Knicks

[Who]

The other one I was thinking about was could Mikal Bridges be traded for Durant for a 2nd time?

Say Mikal Bridges + Mitchell Robinson for Durant. PHX gets a new starting center and a starting SF to play alongside D Booker and B Beal on the perimeter. I think NY would need to include a rookie contract like Dadiet to make the numbers work.

Meanwhile, NY gets Durant as their new PF with Anunoby switching back to his SF position. Durant and Towns up front with Brunson at the controls at PG. Anunoby as the 4th option.

[Who]

That is a terrible trade for the Knicks

Why do you say that?

[Moranis]

That is a terrible trade for the Knicks

Why do you say that?

because Towns is better than Durant, younger than Durant, more versatile than Durant, and more healthy than Durant

[Who]

That is a terrible trade for the Knicks

Why do you say that?

because Towns is better than Durant, younger than Durant, more versatile than Durant, and more healthy than Durant

I agree with the healthier & younger part. Not sure Towns is better than Durant. He played well but not great for NYC this season.

His partnership with Brunson hasn't been great. Defensively they cause the team a lot of issues together. Offensively they do not maximize each other ... or I should say, Brunson does not utilize Towns effectively.

Brunson overdribbles and fails to get Towns the ball enough. I doubt this would be as much of an issue with Durant because Durant is a better pure scorer. More prolific. Can score from any situation. I would expect Durant to work better with Brunson as a 2nd option offensively. I would also expect Durant to be picked on less defensively than Towns was. While also allowing M Robinson to play more.

[Moranis]

The Knicks were a better team this year when Brunson was not in the game. In the regular season and the playoffs.  The problem in NY is him.  He is a selfish ball hog that can't defend a chair.  I get that he isnt going anywhere,  but playing to his strengths isn't going to yield better results, in fact we've seen that show it is 2nd round at best.  The Knicks got better because they added Towns who is simply the best player they've had in years.  They should be building around Towns and devising a system in which Brunson yields to him more.  Trading for an older, more injured, worse player because he is a better fit with Brunson is losing basketball, so the Knicks would probably do it. 

Now if the Knicks can get Durant while keeping Towns that would make sense.  Like Durant for OG and filler. Something like that. 

[Roy H.]

Jalen Brunson doesn't contribute to winning.

Jaylen Brown doesn't contribute to winning.

All of you parents out there:  if your newborn has NBA aspirations, don't name him Ja(y)len B. 

Yes, he'll be phenomenal at basketball, but he won't contribute to winning.  Even if he wins a Finals MVP, or helps carry his team to the Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.

[Larry for 3]

Townes is a loser. You?re not winning a title with him. He will turn into exactly who he is eventually. I would do this trade along with some other moves to make that team better. I saw a Bridges for Gafford and Washington. Those 2 moves then sign Horford? gives the Knicks a better chance. Their current roster won?t get it done.

[Who]

Townes is a loser. You?re not winning a title with him. He will turn into exactly who he is eventually. I would do this trade along with some other moves to make that team better. I saw a Bridges for Gafford and Washington. Those 2 moves then sign Horford? gives the Knicks a better chance. Their current roster won?t get it done.

I don't think they would need Horford if they got PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. So the Knicks would be

G: Brunson, McBride
G: Josh Hart
F: OG Anunoby
F: Towns (or Durant), PJ Washington
C: Mitchell Robinson, D Gafford

They can play M Robinson and Gafford for 40-48mpg at center. Then have PJ Washington backup both the SF and PF positions behind OG and Towns (or Durant). A nice three man forward rotation. The frontcourt is already well covered without Horford.

The SG position is a weak link. They need a genuine shooter in there starting alongside them. Move Josh Hart to the bench. That would be a strong bench with McBride, Hart, PJ Washington, Gafford. One of the best in the league.

[Who]

The Knicks were a better team this year when Brunson was not in the game. In the regular season and the playoffs.

I haven't seen the numbers but I remember the commentators talking about the Knicks had their best numbers in the playoffs with either Brunson on the floor without Towns or Towns on the floor without Brunson. And that they had their worst numbers with both Towns and Brunson on the floor at the same time.

[Moranis]

The Knicks were a better team this year when Brunson was not in the game. In the regular season and the playoffs.

I haven't seen the numbers but I remember the commentators talking about the Knicks had their best numbers in the playoffs with either Brunson on the floor without Towns or Towns on the floor without Brunson. And that they had their worst numbers with both Towns and Brunson on the floor at the same time.

It was really bad with both because they are both poor defenders. Against the Pacers, Brunson was -26 and negative in 4 games.  Towns was +7 and positive in 4 of the 6 games. 

During the regular season Brunson's +- per 100 was +2.1 but the on/off differential was -4.9.  That was not the case the prior season when Brunson's differential was +11.8 which is elite and why he was rightfully a top 5 MVP player.  It is clear he and Towns aren't a great fit, I'm just not so sure Towns is the one that you'd move.  Brunson is a small shoot first PG that is a terrible defender.  Depending on what you think of Curry, he is the only guy to win a title as his teams best player that meets those conditions.  It is much easier to find a PG than a big man. 

Now Towns is not a #1 scorer while Brunson is so that would weigh to Brunson.

The Knicks best option is to keep both and tweak the offense and the rotation to better maximize their strengths and better mask their defensive limitations.  Not sure Thibs has shown the kind of adaptability that would be required for that. So I guess I'm saying if they can't move someone like OG for Durant, then maybe they should move on from Thibs who is seemingly in the D'Antoni level of coach i.e. a guy that finds something that works, but isn't going to win a title because he doesn't have the flexibility to make changes necessary to beat good to great teams.

[Birdman]

Towns and Booker be good together plus they are great friends so I say KAT would love it plus no pressure