Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently proposed trade ideas for every team not in the NBA Finals. Bailey has the Portland Trail Blazers trading with the New York Knicks, packaging veterans and draft capital to land All-NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Here is the deal in full:
Blazers fans experienced FOMO after their team sat out the wild deadline. But the exciting part is that, with a messy roster lacking clear structure and multiple contracts expiring after this season, it's finally time for them to be active in what could be the craziest offseason ever.
This season proved that Portland is too talented to tank and is finally ready to take their roster in the opposite direction, with lofty playoff aspirations as soon as next season. But the Western Conference is a bloodbath, so to achieve that, they need to land an All-Star this summer.
In any blockbuster trade where draft capital is the primary asset, Deandre Ayton is the most obvious player to move. Donovan Clingan's All-Rookie campaign proved that he's already ready to take on an increased role, and Ayton's expiring $35.6 million contract makes him the perfect salary filler.
Towns and Clingan would be the perfect frontcourt pairing
The Blazers must be highly selective in the star they land. Aggressively trading for the wrong fit can set back their promising rebuild for years to come. That said, this would be an absolute steal for the Blazers. They manage to land an All-NBA player without sacrificing any of their up-and-coming players or the valuable Milwaukee Bucks picks.
I'd even do this if Portland had to throw in an additional first-round pick.
Yes, KAT comes with his flaws, which were highlighted in the Knicks playoff run. He's not a traditional big man who will provide rim protection and physicality or anchor an elite defense. However, any criticism surrounding his game is also widely overblown and a combination of scapegoating and recency bias, among other things.
The fact remains that Towns is one of the best shooting big men of all time, averaging 23.1 points and 11.1 rebounds while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep in his career.
The Minnesota Timberwolves -- not the Knicks -- were much better-equipped roster-wise to complement Towns. Minnesota had four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert anchoring the middle, often playing Towns at the power forward spot.
You could make a strong case that power forward is a better position for KAT, as his lack of physicality and rim protection is less of an issue there, while his shooting and size create matchup nightmares for opposing teams.
The Blazers are one of the tallest teams in the NBA and could bolster that strength, using the Wolves' blueprint by pairing Clingan and Towns in the frontcourt. Not to mention, Towns could easily slide over one spot to spell Clingan, who still needs to improve his conditioning to play starter-level minutes.
The Knicks are looking to upgrade their roster, as they should. However, they must also realize that their issues go beyond Towns and the recently fired Tom Thibodeau. Going nuclear and trading away an All-NBA player in his prime doesn't seem like a wise move, especially after a playoff run that exceeded expectations. And if they do, it should be for a much better package than this.
Portland would be fleecing New York.