Former NBA player Charles Barkley has come up with a suggestion for the New York Knicks. The Knicks recently blew out a shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers 109-91 but that did not impress Barkley. According to the former NBA superstar, the Knicks need to make a big money trade. He is suggesting they should get Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During TNT’s broadcast on Tuesday night, Barkley spoke about how the New York Knicks are pushovers in comparison to other big teams in the Easter Conference. He feels that the team can cash in on their draft capital and bring in someone who can change the game for them. He wants them to compete with teams like Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.
“I think the Knicks need to do something,” Barkley said. “You see how this movie’s gonna end. For me, the Knicks are like, ‘Yeah, we play hard. We’re solid.’ But they’re not contenders. So, if I’m them, I’m like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do something. All those draft picks we’ve got, what are we saving them for?’
“Go out and make a move because you’ve got to say to yourself, ‘We’re not in the conversation with Boston and Milwaukee.’”
Barkley was then asked to name a star player that he feels will fit well in New York. He didn’t hesitate to take Karl-Anthony Towns’ name as he believed that the big man does not in the Minnesota Timberwolves. The big man does not fit well with another star center Rudy Gobert.
“Karl-Anthony Towns because those two guys in Minnesota can’t play together,” Barkley said.
The former Suns player highlighted how it was one of the stupidest trades of all time. He feels that it wasn’t the best idea to pair up two 7-footers in a team when the modern NBA is mostly small-ball oriented. “I mean, that was one of the stupidest trades ever. You go get two guys over 7-foot tall in a little man’s league. … Rudy and Karl-Anthony Towns, they don’t dominate in the post to justify playing two 7-foot guys together.”
If Towns is available then it is a no-brainer for the Knicks to go for him as his presence will elevate their team and help them contend in the Eastern Conference. Apart from bringing in size, Towns also brings in offensive versatility. With the draft picks that they have along with young valuable pieces, the Knicks can pull off this trade. However for now they will be on a wait-and-see approach.
