Knicks Have Pressure to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns

The New York Knicks are reacting to the news of Kevin Durant being traded to the Houston Rockets by the Phoenix Suns.

The Knicks bowed out of the Durant trade sweepstakes within the last few weeks, but the domino falling has teams looking to make upgrades across the entire league.

Last Word on Sports writer Robert Zschoche thinks the Knicks should consider trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"Karl-Anthony Towns could be on the trade block after just one year in NYC because his salary can match that of Giannis," Zschoche wrote.

"Although a deal can be formed around OG Anunoby and salary filler, KAT is the most likely to be dealt if the Knicks take a huge swing on the Greek Freak. There are also questions about his long-term pairing with Jalen Brunson due to both guys’ defensive deficiencies. Just as with Bridges, it’s likely that Towns returns to the Knicks, but he’s certainly not safe."

Towns is the biggest trade chip the Knicks have, and if a deal is going to be made, he is likely going to be involved, especially if it is for Antetokounmpo.

It's hard to imagine a lineup that features both Towns and Antetokounmpo, but it could certainly happen. The problem is the Bucks would likely want Towns to be part of the team's return package if they were to trade their best player in franchise history next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It will likely take more than just Towns to get a deal done, which makes it an unlikely move, but the Knicks should be prepared to pull out all the stops to win the championship because other teams are looking to do the same.

The NBA Draft starts on Wednesday while free agency begins on Monday, June 30.