NBA Mock Trade: Nets Grab Star from Rival Knicks

The Brooklyn Nets are in an interesting position, having taken a record five first-round prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft, yet reportedly gearing up to add a star on the market in the next few years.

Various reports have linked Bucks’ superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Nets, though Brooklyn will need to first build out their team before trading for or signing the former MVP. As it stands now, the team is set to earn another top pick via a bottom East finish.

Still, there’s some merit to Brooklyn thinking ahead. If they truly can acquire a superstar with cap space in the coming years, they’ll likely need to pair him with a star, and their crosstown rival could provide just that.

Below, we’ll look at a potential deal — albeit one slightly far fetched — that could help both Brooklyn and New York:

Brooklyn Nets get: Karl-Anthony Towns

New York Knicks get: Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams

Okay, let’s take a breath. 

In this theoretical deal, the Nets add star center Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Nic Claxton, Cam Thomas and Ziaire Williams.

While Towns currently helps to create a fearsome starting lineup for New York, the team was still unable to cash their ticket to the Finals in the East, and guard Jalen Brunson remains the focal point of the team. While Towns is a talented scorer, the Knicks might be better served going with a defensive five and a deeper roster.

Claxton could be just that. As a former Defensive Player of the Year contender, he offers a somewhat supercharged version of Mitchell Robinson, who was impactful in last year’s postseason.

Brooklyn sign-and-trades Cam Thomas — who would likely command a deal somewhere in the $20 million range to make money work here. In New York, Thomas would be well-covered by the slew of talented wing defenders, likely providing bench scoring in Brunson’s absence. This way, the Knicks add both defense and offense in exchange for sending off Towns.

Williams would be yet another rotational piece for the Knicks that could hopefully add minutes here and there. Should New York still feel like they’re not getting bang for their buck, future Nets’ picks could be added to the equation.

On Brooklyn’s end, they nab Towns, who seems a weird addition to the current group. He’s set to turn 30 in a matter of months, and likely has a half-decade left of stellar play.

The Nets would be operating under the assumption they land Antetokounmpo following the 2026-27 season, or at cost at the previous trade deadline. Michael Porter Jr.’s lucrative deal would come off the books at the same time, clearing up plenty of fiscal room for the former Finals MVP. Regardless, the pairing of KAT and Antetokounmpo would be a deadly, unguardable frontcourt duo.

This timeline would also allow the team’s crop of youngsters — both from the 2025 and 2026 drafts — to rev up and develop before hitting the “Go’ button in the East. 

The proposed deal and subsequent contention timeline for Brooklyn is, of course, far-fetched. But should the Nets actually undergo a half-rebuild, it could look similar to the above plans.