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Apr 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) catches a rebound against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends KAT to Jazz, Hawks Add Sexton, Knicks Get Collins and Kessler

Originally posted on Atlanta Hawks on SI | By Rohan Roman | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 11:54 AM ET

After upsetting the Boston Celtics in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the New York Knicks seemed poised to make their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999. However, the Indiana Pacers proved too much to handle and took care of the Knicks in six games to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals.

In the wake of the loss, a recent report by Fred Katz and James Edwards III of the Athletic illustrates that starting center Karl-Anthony Towns, who was a big acquisition for the Knicks during the offseason, may not have been an ideal fit on the team. They had this to say about the frustration of the Knicks' locker room in regards to Towns' defense:

“Publicly, Knicks players made veiled comments all season about poor communication causing their inconsistencies. Behind the scenes, they and coaches expressed frustration with Towns’ defensive habits—less concerned with his talent level and more with his process on that end. Too often, Towns executed incorrect coverages without communicating why he did it. After it became a theme, players worried Towns didn’t grasp the importance of the matter.”

If Towns' defensive issues were as big of a problem as the article suggests, it's possible that the team would consider moving on from their star big man this summer. He is already locked up on a massive, 4 year, $220.4 million dollar contract that began in 2024-25. Next season, he has a cap charge of $53.1 million dollars, which accounts for around 34.4% of the Knicks' cap per Spotrac. The Knicks might be better served breaking that space into multiple contracts that can add to their depth and give them a higher ceiling heading into 2025-26.

There aren't very many teams that can afford to take on Towns' massive salary, but the Utah Jazz are one of them. This is their third straight season of missing the playoffs entirely and they have little to show for it. At the moment, they seem destined to be a bottom feeder in the Western Conference yet again. It's fair to wonder if Jazz president of basketball operations Danny Ainge might be under pressure to improve the team's floor this summer by adding a star-level player through the trade market. They have tradeable contracts in John Collins, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson. With the exception of Kessler, the rest are veterans that do not fit the rebuilding timeline of Utah's roster. Because all of them are expiring deals, teams that are short on cap space may be interested in adding those veterans for a deep postseason run and working out new contracts after next season.

The Hawks are an excellent third team in deals because they have the salary cap space to take on most contracts if those players add to their shooting, frontcourt depth or defense. Fresh off losing to the Miami Heat in the play-in, it's clear that changes need to be made before next season. Another season of failing to qualify for the playoffs could mean the end of head coach Quin Snyder's tenure in Atlanta and a Trae Young trade.

Given the needs of all three teams, what could a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Collin Sexton, Jaden Springer

New York Knicks Receive: John Collins, Walker Kessler, Svi Mykhailiuk, 2025 2nd round pick (via DAL, from UTA), 2029 2nd round pick (via UTA)

Utah Jazz Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Terance Mann, 2025 1st round pick (via LAL, from ATL, #22), 2026 1st round pick (via NYK, top-8 protected), 2026 2nd round pick (via DET, MIL or ORL, from NYK)

Why the Hawks would do this trade: Swapping out Terance Mann for Collin Sexton is a move designed to add more firepower to an offense that already finished 5th in points per game last season. Sexton has shot over 39% from deep for three straight seasons, culminating in a career-best 40.6% last season on 4.3 attempts per game. Although it isn't necessarily his strength, he adds more playmaking to a roster usually dependent on Trae Young and Jalen Johnson to dish out assists. Sexton posted an AST% of 25.1% as he averaged 4.2 assists per game. He's very athletic and provides a ton of hustle even if he isn't a starting piece. On defense, he turned himself into a neutral defender in Utah despite not being surrounded by many high-level defenders. Despite already spending four years in the NBA, Springer is only 22 years old and has legitimate defensive tools that are currently being held back by his lack of a consistent jumper. If he can hone his game in College Park, the Hawks could have unearthed a very helpful rotation player for cheap.

Why the Hawks would not do this trade: They are giving up a 2025 first-round pick to make this deal happen and Sexton does not address any of their weaknesses with front court depth or shooting. Even though it is the later of their two picks, it's possible that the Hawks' front office could pursue other veterans with that pick. Furthermore, Sexton's salary is expiring, which means that he will need a new deal if he plays well with the Hawks. That could be tricky to fit into the salary cap picture considering that a Dyson Daniels extension is imminient.

Why the Knicks would do this trade: It would be hard to trade away one of the team's best shooters in Towns without getting a center who can offer some spacing and fortunately, they are getting exactly that in John Collins. Collins is nowhere near the shooter that KAT is, but he still canned 39.9% of his three-point attempts on 3.7 attempts per game. He also shot an excellent 84.8% from the charity stripe, so there is some reason to believe he could keep those percentages up on higher volume. Kessler is one of the better rim protectors in the league, posting a BLK% of 7.4% and a staggering 2.4 blocks per game. He made massive strides as a rebounder, recording a league-leading OREB% of 16.6% last year while continuing to end possessions as an intimidating defensive rebounder. He's a good rim-runner who can play off a talented passer like Jalen Brunson. Kessler also offers injury insurance for Mitchell Robinson, who frequently misses time. Furthermore, Mykhailiuk is a solid bench wing who averaged 8.8 points per game and shot 80% from the charity stripe. He competes hard on both ends and has championship experience from his time with the Celtics. Considering the Knicks' title aspirations, adding veterans with that type of experience is helpful.

Why the Knicks would not do this trade: Their 2026 first-round pick is the Knicks' most valuable remaining asset and they may not want to let it go for players that don't prop up a leaky perimeter defense. Furthermore, the fit of Collins and Kessler hasn't always been smooth and it complicates the Knicks' rotations if they cannot play together.

Why the Jazz would do this trade: Adding Karl-Anthony Towns would be a massive face-lift for a struggling Jazz offense. He averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds on 52.6/42/82.9% shooting splits and shot a blistering 42% from deep on 4.7 attempts per game. Although Kessler is a great rebounder, Towns had the best rebounding season of his career last year and posted a TREB% of 21%. Given that the Jazz finished 22nd in 3P% last season, there's no question that Towns can improve their spacing. His abilities might also reduce the defensive attention on Lauri Markkanen, who struggled last season. Mann was a solid defender for the Hawks last season and adds a veteran presence to a very young roster.

Why the Jazz would not do this trade: Towns has a very expensive contract and the Jazz would now have two max to supermax level contracts on their books. Even though they aren't paying significant money to anyone other than Markkanen, it still reduces their future flexibility.