O Knicks The Boston Celtics are three wins away from the official start of the offseason. This year, teams can talk to their own free agents the day after the NBA Finals end, so if the Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks could begin negotiations with OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Precious Achiuwa and its other free agents on June 15. They can also start negotiating extensions with Jalen Brunson It is Julio Randle after the finals are over.
Once again, New York enters the offseason well-positioned for a significant trade, as three picks in the top 38 of the 2024 NBA Draftown all of their future first-round picks and the rights to three additional first-rounders.
If the Knicks want to upgrade their roster this offseason or in the future (they do), a trade is the most likely option. With that in mind, we took a look at the math behind a Karl-Anthony Cities trade below and put together some packages that would work under NBA trade guidelines *with the help of**Yossi Gozlan.
*This is not a comment on whether commercial packages are advantageous for Minnesota or New York. **Gozlan has remarkably informative content YouTube page if you want to know more about the implications of the teams cap.
BOGDANOVIC’S ROLE
Let’s start with Bojan Bogdanovic. His contract is currently guaranteed for $2 million. It will be fully guaranteed at $19 million on June 28. If you’re thinking about a trade, the Knicks’ decision on Bogdanovic is key.
Here’s Gozlan: “I think it makes sense to keep him and secure him for next season if the Knicks feel like there’s a trade for an All-Star on the horizon. Attaching their $19 million to Julius Randle’s $28.9 million allows them to match virtually anyone. If Bogdanovic leaves, they will likely need to trade Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinsonor even try to engage Precious Achiuwa in a subscription and exchange to get enough money to send.
Would the Knicks move any of the other players mentioned by Gozlan above? My reading is that any player outside of Brunson would be available in the right trade, as you would expect.
DOING SALARY MATCHING?
If they re-sign Anunoby and Hartenstein, the Knicks will likely want to avoid being limited on the first cap ($178 million) to build the roster. From a business standpoint, the Knicks would trigger the cap hit if they get more money back than they send out. The Timberwolves also probably don’t want to get back more money than they send in a trade before July 1 because that would trigger a cap hit. Therefore, it would make sense for the Knicks to execute a trade that matches Towns’ salary dollar for dollar.
The Knicks would have to match Towns’ $36 million salary in a trade executed before July 1. If the trade is executed after July 1, they would have to match Towns’ $49 million salary. (Worth noting: Teams could execute a multi-team deal to add more money on both ends of the deal and satisfy league trade rules. Also worth noting: Under current CBA rules, the Knicks would have cap in 2024-25 if they recoup more money in a trade made before July 1. Therefore, it is imperative that the Knicks avoid that cap so they can get past the first apron to build the roster.)
OK, SO WHAT PACKAGES CAN WORK?
Randle, Bogdanovic, Jericho Sims and multiple first-round picks work in a trade executed after July 1. That total salary barely exceeds Towns’ $49.3 million. This would hurt the Knicks on the second apron in 2024-25.
In a trade before July 1, New York could send Randle and Bogdanovic, with the Knicks increasing their partial guarantee next year to $7.8 million and including several first-round picks; that would be a 100 percent match for Towns’ $36 million. This would hurt the Knicks on the second apron in 2024-25.
WHY WOULD MINNESOTA TRADE CITIES?
The Timberwolves are coming off one of the best seasons in franchise history. They won 56 games and reached the Western Conference Finals. They have a rising star in Antonio Eduardo and Towns was an integral part of the team’s success. So why would the Timberwolves consider trading cities? Finance. Under its current constitution, Minnesota projects to pay $75 million in luxury taxes next season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Is the property willing to spend that kind of money? Which ownership group is making the decision? Glen Taylor and an ownership group led by Alex Rodríguez and Mark Lore are headed to arbitration in a battle for controlling interest in the team.
For now, Taylor holds a controlling stake in the team. The arbitration is unlikely to be resolved before free agency. Taylor, according to Atléticoshowed a willingness to spend luxury tax money to keep the team together.
WHY DO THE KNICKS WANT CITIES?
The Knicks will always have some interest in the cities. The NBA, like most entities, is a relationship business. President of the Knicks Leon Rosa is Towns’ former agent. He is the executive vice president of the Knicks William Wesley are close to Towns and his family. Knicks Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas led the Timberwolves during Towns’ tenure.
So there are a lot of organic connections between New York and cities. As far as his fit on the basketball court, people in the organization (not just the people mentioned above) viewed Towns as a strong upgrade on previous iterations of this Knicks team. I can’t say for sure whether key decision makers still see cities this way. But if they do, the Knicks will have the resources to bring him to New York.
