All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns has always been more comfortable playing the power forward spot next to a defensive-minded center.
In his one-and-done college career at Kentucky, he played next to Willie Cauley-Stein. And during his most successful season as a pro in the NBA — the 2023-24 season when he reached the Western Conference Finals — he played next to Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid.
As such, Towns could be playing out of position with the Knicks in the 2024-25 season, especially with Mitchell Robinson out with injury. To put Towns in a familiar spot, Sports Illustrated’s Jed Katz proposed a Knicks trade that would see New York acquire Jakob Poeltl from the Raptors.
Raptors would receive: Mitchell Robinson, Precious Achiuwa, 2026 second-round pick (via GSW)
Knicks would receive: Jakob Poeltl
Katz explained why Poeltl — who is averaging career-highs in points (15.5), rebounds (11.0) and minutes (32.1) for the Raptors — would be a perfect fit in Tom Thibodeau’s system.
Poetl Can Play Next to Towns
“The Knicks would be getting a player who rebounds just as efficiently as [Mitchell] Robinson,” Katz wrote of Poeltl.
“Although he isn’t as defensively talented, the offense outweighs that with a better touch at the rim. Knicks fans may be upset to see Robinson be involved in trade rumors, but if New York wants to compete for a championship, it can’t be patient anymore. Robinson has had a history of injuries and has gained a noticeable amount of weight since last season. He’s making progress, however the Knicks need to improve the rotation sooner rather than later.”
The writer further explained why Robinson and Achiuwa would have to be sent to Toronto to match Poeltl’s salary in a potential Knicks trade.
“Because Poeltl is making $19.5 million this season, Robinson’s $14.3 million contract would have to be moved in a trade. Achiuwa, making $6.0 million, would be another player likely to be traded if the Raptors’ center were acquired.”
Center is Top Priority in a Knicks Trade
According to multiple insiders, the Knicks are trying to shore up their bench scoring before the February 6 deadline, but a backup center or a starting big to play next to Towns is still the No. 1 priority for the Leon Rose-led front office.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported on December 18 that the Knicks were in a bit of quandary due to Robinson’s injury as they can’t use him as a trade asset.
“Robinson would be a valuable trade asset if the Knicks were looking to improve their depth and feel comfortable with Precious Achiuwa starting at center,” Marks wrote. “New York can also add a player waived after the trade deadline who had a pre-existing salary of $12.8 million or less starting Feb. 25. With the heavy minutes coach Tom Thibodeau plays his starters, two aspects need to be taken into account when answering that question: the Knicks’ lack of depth and their postseason aspirations. They aren’t built as a team meant just to compete in the regular season.”
According to Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto, Thibodeau would prefer to play Towns next to Robinson when the latter returns from injury.
“…The Knicks believe Robinson can help anchor their interior defense when he returns and can play alongside Towns, who’d slide over to power forward,” Scotto wrote on December 2. “Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is a strong advocate for Robinson and believes he can help the team win in the playoffs.”
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