The Knicks are three Boston Celtics wins away from officially starting their offseason. This year, teams can talk to their own free agents the day after the NBA Finals ends, so if the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks can begin negotiations with OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Precious Achiuwa and their other free agents on June 15. They can also start negotiating extensions Jalen Brunson And Julius Randle after the final is over.
Once again, New York enters the offseason well positioned for a significant trade, as they have three picks in the top 38 of the 2024 NBA Draft, own all of their future first-round picks and have the rights to three additional first-rounders.
If the Knicks want to upgrade their roster this season or later (they do), a trade is the most likely option. With that in mind, we looked at the math behind a Karl-Anthony Cities trade below and put together a few packages that would work under the NBA trading guidelines *with the help of **Yossi Gozlan.
*This is not a comment on whether the trade packages are beneficial to Minnesota or New York. **Gozlan has a remarkably informative YouTube page if you want to learn more about the implications of the team caps.
THE ROLE OF BOGDANOVIC
Let’s start with Bojan Bogdanovic. His contract is currently guaranteed for $2 million. It becomes fully guaranteed on June 28 for $19 million. If you’re thinking about a trade, the Knicks’ decision on Bogdanovic is critical.
Here is Gozlan: “I think it makes sense to keep him and guarantee him for next season if the Knicks feel like a trade for an All-Star is on the horizon. By pairing his $19 million with Julius Randle’s $28.9 million, they can match for just about anyone. If Bogdanovic is gone, they will probably have to act Jos Hart or Mitchell Robinsonor even try to get Precious Achiuwa involved in a sign-and-trade to get enough money to send.
Would the Knicks move any of the other players Gozlan mentions above? I read that any player outside of Brunson would be available in the right trade, as you would expect.
CREATE SALARIES?
If they re-sign Anunoby and Hartenstein, the Knicks will likely want to avoid getting a hard cap hit at the first platform ($178 million) to build out the roster. From a trade perspective, the Knicks would trigger the hard cap if they take back more money than they spend. The Timberwolves also likely don’t want to take back more money than they send in a trade before July 1, as that would cause a hard cap. So it would make sense for the Knicks to make a trade that matches Towns’ salary dollar for dollar.
The Knicks would have to match Towns’ salary of $36 million in a trade completed before July 1. If the trade is made after July 1, they would have to match Towns’ salary of $49 million. (Worth noting: The teams could make a multi-team deal to add more money to both sides of the deal and comply with the league’s trade rules. Also worth noting: Under current CBA rules, the Knicks would be in 2024- 25 have a hard cap if they take back more money in a trade made before July 1. So it’s imperative that the Knicks avoid that hard cap so they can go over that first apron to build out the roster.)
OK, WHICH PACKAGES CAN WORK?
Randle, Bogdanovic, Jericho Sims and multiple first-round picks work in a trade executed after July 1. This salary total barely exceeds Towns’ $49.3 million. It would deliver a blow to the Knicks on the second platform in 2024-2025.
In a trade before July 1, New York could send out Randle and Bogdanovic, with the Knicks increasing his partial guarantee to $7.8 million next year, including multiple first-round picks; this would 100 percent match Towns’ $36 million. It would deliver a blow to the Knicks on the second platform in 2024-2025.
WHY SHOULD MINNESOTA CITIES ACT?
The Timberwolves are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history. They won 56 games and reached the Western Conference Finals. They have a rising star within them Anthony Edwards and Towns was an integral part of the team’s success. So why would the Timberwolves even consider trading cities? Finances. As it stands now, Minnesota plans to pay $75 million in luxury taxes next season ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Is ownership willing to spend that kind of money? Which ownership group makes the decision in the first place? Glen Taylor and an ownership group led by Alex Rodriguez and Mark Lore are headed to arbitration in a battle for control of the team.
For now, Taylor has a controlling interest in the team. It is unlikely that the arbitration will be resolved before free agency. Taylor has shown a willingness to spend the luxury of taxpayer money to keep the team together, according to The Athletic.
WHY WOULD THE KNICKS WANT CITIES?
The Knicks will always have some interest in Towns. The NBA, like most entities, is a relationship business. Knicks chairman Leon Roos is Towns’ former agent. He and Knicks executive vice president William Wesley have a good relationship with Towns and his family. Knicks senior vice president of basketball operations Gerson Rosas managed the Timberwolves during Towns’ tenure.
So there are plenty of organic connections between New York and Towns. In terms of his suitability on the basketball court, people in the organization (not just those mentioned above) viewed Towns as a strong upgrade on previous versions of this Knicks team. I can’t say for sure if key decision makers still view Towns that way. But if they do, the Knicks have the resources to bring him to New York.
