New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns is just one of the names rumored in this season’s NBA trade deadline madness. Considering how the association conducts its trade business, it makes logical sense for KAT to lead the way.
Courtesy of KAT’s inability to seamlessly fit in with the Jalen Brunson-led rotation, he is the guy in question. At the same time, his hefty $53.142 cap hit in 2025-26 makes it incredibly difficult to line everything up properly.
Nevertheless, there are others. The likes of Mikal Bridges, Deuce McBride, and even OG Anunoby have been named as guys who could potentially be dealt. Again, it makes sense when Giannis Antetokounmpo is the apple of Leon Rose’s eye.
Despite the Greek Freak’s potential impact, there’s one Knickerbocker who must remain employed for the squad to enjoy genuine title-contending status this season.
That man’s name is Mitchell Robinson.
Giannis + Mitch = A frightening playoff lineup
Assuming the Knicks could acquire Giannis for KAT, Bridges, and Pacome Dadiet — along with any inconsequential roster pieces and/or draft pick movement — here’s how the Knicks starting lineup would look:
- 5: Mitchell Robinson
- 4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 3. OG Anunoby
- 2. Josh Hart
- 1. Jalen Brunson
While it’s a bigger lineup that leaves something to be desired in spacing and outside shooting, this lineup performs wonders, especially once playoff time rolls around.
A Mitch plus Giannis lineup is scary long. Think about the length this lineup presents to opponents.
Knicks fans are acutely aware of Robinson’s prowess. Mitch’s 4.9 offensive rebounds per game lead the NBA, and he does it in just 19.7 minutes. He is, of course, one of the top rim defenders in the land.
While it’s true that the 7-footer drags down the pace and tempo of the Knicks’ play, that’s not the case when comparing it to a Towns-led lineup (without Mitch on the floor). Robinson’s length is such a weapon that it makes up for any deficiencies in the quickness department.
Couple Mitch’s length, defensive, and rebounding ability with Giannis, and New York hits the hardwood with the scariest front-court length in the NBA. Offenses looking to extend Mitch out to the three-point line would then have to contend with Giannis, who’s a tremendous defensive player in his own right (a one-time defensive player of the year and five-time all-defensive team player)
Not only does Giannis speed up the lineup in a big way (replacing KAT), but it solves the Knicks’ most devastating issue: Their inability to win anything of substance with two basement-level defenders in the lineup (KAT and Brunson).
Yet, the positives don’t end there.
Small ball: The change-up lineup
Keeping Mitch is essential for obvious reasons, such as the lack of depth behind him, which is sort of a big deal. Also, the contrasting style the Knicks could play behind the scary lineup of Mitch plus Giannis would give opponents fits.
Aggressively pursuing Giannis provides New York with a change-up lineup that can scoot up and down the court while contrasting the defensive-dominant starting lineup that is scary long:
- 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 4. OG Anunoby
- 3. Josh Hart
- 2. Jalen Brunson
- 1. Deuce McBride
Small ball, folks. Yes, the 6-foot-11 champ can absolutely still play the 5 when necessary. While it probably wouldn’t be a staple, Anunoby’s versatility at the 4, along with Josh Hart’s rebounding ability at the 3, makes it work.
For obvious reasons, this wouldn’t be the consistent bench-featured lineup that eats up a good chunk of the second quarter. More importantly, however, it’s a change-of-pace look that flawlessly fits.
Unlike the bigger, more defensively-driven starting five, McBride’s insertion at point guard, which knocks Brunson into an off-ball position, provides the team with the right spacing and more than enough outside shooting.
A more realistic bench lineup could look like this:
- 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 4. Mohamed Diawara (or rotational piece acquired in trade)
- 3. Josh Hart
- 2. Landry Shamet (or rotational piece acquired in trade)
- 1. Deuce McBride (or Tyler Kolek, if Deuce is dealt)
Or, if Brunson is left in the game while Giannis gets the early blow, it could look this way (and/or with Mitch re-entering the game after leaving earlier in the first quarter):
- 5. Mitchell Robinson
- 4. OG Anunoby
- 3. Landry Shamet (or rotational piece acquired in trade)
- 2. Jalen Brunson
- 1. Deuce McBride (or Tyler Kolek, if Deuce is dealt)
Pairing Brunson with the defensive length of Mitch and OG, while using Hart with Giannis (the first bench lineup), is probably the best way to envision it on paper. Whether it’s Giannis or Brunson who says on the floor longer in the first quarter, it can work.
At the end of the day, which rotational piece(s) Rose can bring back in any potential deal looms large on the depth.
The only option: Pursue Giannis aggressively
The question of how aggressive the Knicks should be when negotiating for Antetokounmpo boils down to the individual’s current view of the squad. Can these New York Knicks, as currently constituted, win an NBA championship?
I firmly believe they cannot. I didn’t think they could last year, and I believed firing Tom Thibodeau would only move them further away from that grand championship objective (as Thibs intinmately understood how to play with this slower, not-as-athletic-and-long roster).
As previously mentioned, the most detrimental issue lies in their perceived best two players. As much offensive talent as Brunson and Towns have, those two players, making up 40% of the team (two of five), just cannot hold their weight on the defensive end of the floor.
It’s one thing to have two below-average defenders in the lineup; it’s another thing entirely to have two basement-level defenders in the lineup — no less at the point guard and center spots.
For that reason, the Knicks should undoubtedly pursue Giannis. Not only is he a rare breed as an on-court prototype, but he also fits this city. Remember, this is the anti-NBA superstar, the guy who never joined a superteam, and once he did the impossible in Milwaukee, made sure his integrity and hoops morals remained on the up-and-up.
That type of dude, the guy willing to do the little things on the court, as a physical specimen of an individual, will be revered from Manhattan to Queens, all the way over to Brooklyn, and even New Jersey.
Granted, the team’s depth will be a major concern. But hey, what else can they do at this point? The Towns and Bridges trades were effectively Rose’s final bullets to fire, and they haven’t resulted in an undoubted championship-level product — at least not at this point.
Yes, the New York Knicks should aggressively pursue and trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Just make sure to do so while keeping Mitchell Robinson. The fits that those two will provide teams in the defensive, rebounding, and length departments are precisely what win playoff basketball games.
