After Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry took less on a contract extension, their next star target could be New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns and the Knicks had been in extension talks, but those negotiations were recently halted by the Knicks.
That could open the door for the Warriors to swoop in and potentially acquire Towns, either at the trade deadline or next offseason. In fact, the Warriors could use some of the cap space that Curry preserved to do so.
They are currently projected to have up to $64 million in cap space, enough to try to sign him away from New York. By pursuing Towns next summer, it would give the struggling Warriors a glimmer of hope.
Warriors are ideally placed for Karl-Anthony Towns' move
By the Knicks declining to extend him before the start of the season, that all but guarantees that Towns will hit free agency next summer.
Golden State should hope that's the case. Next summer is light on star power, and it would be a disaster if they were to have max cap space but no star to use it on. At least by adding Towns, they'd be pairing Curry with another star.
Of course, Towns is an offensive star rather than an elite two-way player. Even if Golden State were to add him, they will still need players around them.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, they are pretty long in the tooth, with them having one of the oldest rosters in the NBA. Towns himself will be 31 by the time he hits free agency next offseason.
Landing Karl-Anthony Towns comes with risks for the Warriors
Yet Golden State won't have many other options, especially with how they don't project to be a playoff team right now. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Golden State kicks the tires on trading for him this season.
That way, the Warriors would at least ensure they'd land Towns and possibly make a second-half playoff push if they were to acquire him. Of course, that would require the Knicks to be willing to part with Towns midseason during a potential repeat year.
That would seem unlikely, though the Knicks opting not to extend him suggests he doesn't have a future beyond this season in New York. If that's true, then he might have one in Golden State.
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