NBA Trade Rumors: There's one center target the New York Knicks were eyeing before pulling the trigger for Karl-Anthony Towns.
As one of the more active teams from this past offseason, the New York Knicks were clearly in the market to upgrade their roster. They opened the offseason by acquiring Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets but it was their last big move of the summer that managed to steal the league's headlines. New York acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in a big move that involved multiple teams.
In the end, the Knicks solidified the center position, which had given them problems in the past, with the acquisition of KAT. It remains to be seen how this move will work out of the team but in a vacuum, you'd imagine it is going to work swimmingly for a team that needed an interior force on both ends of the floor.
But it is interesting to look at the other potential options that could've happened if it weren't for the move for KAT. In fact, according to a recent report, it's been revealed who the Knicks were potentially targeting before finalizing the deal for KAT. One of those targets was Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler.
It's not exactly surprising that the Knicks were looking at making a move for Kessler, especially considering they were linked to him earlier in the offseason. What was surprising was the fact that the Jazz were asking for two future first-round picks for the third-year center.
Did the New York Knicks make the right move?
While he does hold some upside value at the center position, that's a pretty wild asking price from the Jazz. And you can see why New York wasn't all that thrilled about making such a move. In the end, the Knicks elected to trade Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a pick to the Wolves for KAT.
Sure, New York had to give a little more in the deal for KAT, but they're also getting a much better player than Kessler. And that's not a shot at Kessler. It's just the reality of the situation.
It is fun to play the "what if" game for the Knicks but they're in the championship conversation either way. And, if the recent reporting is any indication, this is a team that may not even be done making moves. As the Knicks look to solidify themselves as a legit championship contender in the Eastern Conference, don't be surprised if they have another in-season trade up their sleeve.