The Golden State Warriors may have more than one reason to keep Karl-Anthony Towns on the radar over the next year, and one of them has nothing to do with cap sheets or trade machinery. It has to do with Dominican roots.
Golden State already has two players with Dominican heritage in Al Horford and 11th overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg, and that could become a small but real part of any pitch for the New York Knicks center if the Warriors get serious about a move in trade or free agency next year. Towns has been linked to the Warriors before, and their center outlook is still murky with Kristaps Porzingis’ latest illness adding to the uncertainty. Now Towns is back in the conversation as contract tension with the Knicks continues.
The Dominican connection is not likely to be the centerpiece of Towns’ decision, but it could matter a little if he’s pushed to weigh other options after being left "disappointed" by the Knicks tabling contract talks entering the season. Towns has made clear how much his background means to him, and that pride showed again when he got a phone call from the country’s President after winning the championship with the Knicks in June.
Horford has already embraced the idea of bringing another Dominican around. After Golden State drafted Lendeborg in June, he posted "Bienvenido (welcome) Yaxel" on social media. And there’s already some on-court chemistry to point to: Lendeborg and Horford connected for multiple pick-and-pop threes during Friday’s final preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The long view matters here too. Less than half of Golden State’s roster is under contract for the 2027-28 season, though Horford is one of the players locked in for now, along with Lendeborg. Horford does hold a $7.2 million player option, but the setup still gives Towns a plausible path to joining teammates who share his background.
Golden State’s interest in Towns isn’t new. According to insider Anthony Slater, the Warriors explored a trade for him when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves two years ago. And ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently put Golden State in the group of teams that could make a run at Towns if he reaches free agency.
"If Towns isn't extended, he could opt out and enter free agency. There definitely are teams -- starting with the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers and Atlanta Hawks-- that would probably line up to make big offers," Windhorst wrote.
There’s also the trade route, though that would likely come with a steep cost. If the Knicks decide they can’t afford to risk losing Towns for nothing in free agency, Golden State could try to pry him away now - but that almost certainly would mean giving up Jimmy Butler and future draft capital.
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