Gotta Respectfully Ask Charles Barkley To Shut Up About How The Knicks Need To Trade For Karl-Anthony Towns In Order To Be A Contender

Let me be clear here, I love Charles Barkley. Who doesn't? I may even call him Mr. Barkley to prove a point about politely asking him to shut the fuck up and never talk about this again. Yeah, he's not wrong that the Knicks aren't a contender. No one in the right mind is saying they are in the top tier of teams in the league. But they are a great spot. There's not a bad contract on the roster, they have a shit ton of picks, there's assets everywhere. For the first time arguably in my 36 years on this planet the Knicks are in a decent spot. 

And yeah, everyone agrees the Knicks need to make a move at some point. You finally found the piece in Jalen Brunson who could be a No. 2 on a great team if you have that star at No. 1. Randle isn't that, even if he's a bit underrated because people love to blame him for everything. He's good. I'm not afraid to say that, Julius Randle is good at basketball. He's not going to win the Knicks a title but he's sure as shit helped get them to where we currently are. 

So that brings us to this. Who do you trade for? It's a dangerous question for Knicks fans because, well, we're the Knicks. We've had every rumor in the NBA and it's all failed. We're currently in the middle of will Joel Embiid join the Knicks? Sure! I'm not buying it until he leaves the 76ers, barricades himself in Houston and refuses to do anything until he's traded. But it's a rumor. Then there's the one who has been around forever.

Karl-Anthony Towns. He's a decent player, he's from the area, a former No. 1 pick, all that good stuff. But he's not turning the Knicks into a contender. We've seen him shrink in major moments. You really think he can be the No. 1 guy on a team that can contend? Because, where the hell are the Wolves? I mean, sure, they did make the worst trade in the NBA by bringing in Gobert but Towns and Edwards should be good enough together to win. Here's the other thing. It's not a trio if you bring in Towns. You're likely trading Randle. If you tell me it's KAT, Randle and Brunson, sure that's intriguing but still not the answer. 

Let's remember here that it's still the NBA. There will be another star who is sick of their team and forces their way out. It's almost a guarantee. We just don't know who that is yet. That's why the Knicks can't panic. They are in a fine spot where they can compete, not have disaster contracts and a shit ton of picks. Just don't panic and think KAT is the answer.