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We may only be in the infancy stages of the 2023 NBA offseason, but already the rumor mill is churning rapidly, with Wizards star Bradley Beal being found at the center of a large chunk of the chatter.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, there are many league executives who believe that the Wizards could be willing to undergo a rebuild this summer which, should this be the case, it is being reported that the franchise would work with their star centerpiece to find a suitable landing spot via trade.
Now, while there are many teams expected to pursue the likes of Beal should he be shopped this summer, one club being tabbed as a top contender for his services is the New York Knicks who, following a highly impressive 2022-23 campaign, are looking to better their odds of achieving greater success come next season and beyond.
However, while the concept of adding the three-time All-Star to this core already consisting of All-NBA big man Julius Randle and stud point guard Jalen Brunson sounds highly entertaining on paper, there are many reasons why Leon Rose and company should consider shying away from making such a move.
In fact, if the Knicks are truly gunning to add another star to their arsenal, there are two other players, in particular, that they should be gearing up to pursue over Bradley Beal.
Knicks trade target No. 1) Karl-Anthony Towns
Easily the player most consistently linked to the Knicks thus far this offseason, the possibility of Karl-Anthony Towns heading to New York has been discussed for several years now, as the big man has many ties to the franchise from Leon Rose (his former agent at CAA) to Tom Thibodeau (his former coach in Minnesota).
Now, after a self-described “failure” of a 2022-23 season, it is believed that the All-Star could be open to moving on from the Twin Cities, and the chatter that he may have his sights set on the Big Apple has only gone on to grow louder since being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in round one of the playoffs.
Throughout his eight-year NBA career, Towns has established himself as truly one of the game's elite offensive pivots with his stellar per-game averages of 23.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 52.6% from the field and 39.5% from distance.
Unlike Beal, the Timberwolves big is someone who is accustomed to playing off-ball, thus already meshing better with the more touch-heavy skill sets of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Karl-Anthony Towns also addresses the club's need for both bolstered frontcourt depth and improved long-range shooting, as each was simply taken advantage of on several occasions throughout the season.
The center's specific skill set would be a great compliment to this Knicks offense, as not only would he be a menacing low-post/ pick-and-roll presence for the club, but Brunson and Randle's “attack the basket” mentality could help create more successful kick-out looks for Towns out beyond the arc which, as a whole, would only stand to help improve their lowly 19-ranked three-point shooting clip (35.4%).
Knicks trade target No. 2) Jaylen Brown
The upcoming supermax contract negotiations between Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have some believing that considering the financial restraints that would come with such a deal, the two parties could wind up parting ways via trade at some point between now and next season.
Should this happen, the New York Knicks should absolutely thrust themselves into the mix if they wind up shopping him.
Coming off of easily his best season in the association, Jaylen Brown finished off his All-NBA 2022-23 campaign boasting impressive per-game averages of 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 49.1% shooting from the field.
Unlike Bradley Beal, Brown is a proven and trusty contributor on both ends of the floor rather than just in the offensive department. On top of this, he's also proven to be more than capable of successfully sharing the load with other ball-dominant players throughout his career, particularly with superstar teammate Jayson Tatum and, back during his first All-Star campaign in 2020-21, Kemba Walker.
Considering his more desirable age (26) coupled with his better fit from a playing perspective, if the Knicks were to be interested in addressing their wing depth by adding an established star, trading for Jaylen Brown could easily wind up being the far more beneficial and logical option, even if it costs them more in both outbound trade assets and financial commitments (eligible to sign a five-year, $295 million extension this offseason).
Though signs point to the Celtics committing to the wing beyond this offseason, with team president Brad Stevens publicly noting during a press conference “Without a doubt, we want Jaylen to be here”, the Knicks should still be keeping an eye on the situation between him and Boston until pen hits paper.
