The Golden State Warriors may have a path back into the Karl-Anthony Towns conversation.
With reports surfacing Friday that the New York Knicks and Towns are putting extension talks on hold for later in the season, Golden State suddenly looks like one of the teams best positioned to make a run at him. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the sides have not been able to reach an agreement, opening the door for the Warriors to circle the situation again.
That interest is not coming out of nowhere. Golden State has had Towns on its radar before, and the timing could work in their favor if the Knicks eventually decide to move him before February’s mid-season deadline. The Warriors have expiring contracts, draft assets and a couple of young pieces, which puts them in a strong spot if a trade market develops.
There is also another route. If Towns declines his $61 million player option next year, the Warriors could wait and try to land him in free agency. Their ability to create max cap space for a player like Towns would depend in part on whether Brandin Podziemski gets an extension in the next 10 days, making the young guard situation another important piece of the puzzle.
Golden State’s need at center only adds to the intrigue. Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with another illness that has kept him away from the team for much of preseason, and he is likely to miss the season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers in less than two weeks.
That uncertainty makes Towns an even more appealing target. He would be a clear upgrade on the floor, and he would also bring a level of availability the Warriors currently can’t count on. Towns has played 72 and 75 games over the past two seasons, and he also boosted his profile during the Knicks’ run to the NBA championship only a matter of months ago.
The idea has already been floated publicly as well. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins pointed to Golden State as a possible landing spot, saying, “if I'm Karl-Anthony Towns, I'm looking at old Steph Curry and Golden State.”
It’s an obvious fit on paper for a team that has recently kept investing in stretch bigs. Over the last 2.5 years, the Warriors have drafted Quinten Post, signed Al Horford and traded for Porzingis.
Towns would bring something bigger than any of that. Last season, he averaged 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists, and he remains a career 39.7% 3-point shooter on more than four attempts per game. For a Warriors team that has already shown how much it values frontcourt spacing, that profile stands out.
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