NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Targeting This All-Star Center To Build The Team Around

After its failure to lure a superstar to bring their talents to Manhattan during the off-season, the New York Knicks is relying on their youth to turn their fortunes around. With their 19-year old rookie RJ Barrett being projected to be the new face of the franchise, the Knicks is still at the near bottom of the standings with their 7-24 win-loss record, losing their last three games.

After trading their long-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City Thunder two seasons back and shipping out Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knickerbockers are setting their sights at an All-Star big man from the west.

Reports from Marc Berman of the New York Post said that New York Knicks is looking to watch the availability of Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns. The 24-year old center is on his fifth season with the Wolves after being selected first overall in the 2015 draft where, coincidentally, the same draft class where the 7-foot-3 Porzingis was picked fourth by New York.

The 6-foot-11 product of the University of Kentucky is currently leading the Wolves with 26.5 points and 11.7 rebounds in 23 games for Minnesota. He, however, has not played a game since December 14 where they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers at home after hurting his knee in the fourth quarter of a missed dunk attempt.

Listed as “day-to-day” by Minnesota coach Ryan Saunders, Towns was not able to play the team’s last four games and the Timberwolves are on an 11-game losing skid. In their 113-104 loss against the Golden State Warriors, Gorgui Dieng and Noah Vonleh were filling the spots left by their injured center.

Towns grew up in Metuchen, NJ and was a fan of the Knicks growing up – those factors are some of the things that can bring the Dominican-American big man to New York and had the team built around him with young talents. Mitchell Robinson is the only full-time center for the Knicks and their tandem could be deadly as the 21-year old sophomore can run with the guards, just the same as the former rookie of the year winner.