The Phoenix Suns want nothing to do with Karl-Anthony Towns in any potential Kevin Durant trade with the New York Knicks, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports.
“I have heard that the Suns don’t have interest in Karl-Anthony Towns,” 98.7 FM Phoenix’s Gambadoro said Thursday. “I was told today that with the Knicks, more likely, they would like an OG Anunoby or Mikal Bridges, but not a Karl-Anthony Towns.”
This revelation comes as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that New York actually tried to trade for Durant at the February deadline. Durant apparently wanted to join the Knicks, but the teams couldn’t make a deal happen.
The money would have worked out perfectly. Towns made $49.2 million this season while Durant earned $51.17 million.
But Phoenix just isn’t interested in the big man.
Towns Had a Monster Season in New York
That’s pretty surprising considering Towns just had one of the best years of his career.
He made his fifth All-Star team and earned his third All-NBA Third-Team selection with the Knicks.
The 7-footer put up 24.4 points and a career-high 12.8 rebounds per game.
He was absolutely dominant at times. In October, Towns exploded for 44 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Miami, shooting a ridiculous 17-of-25 from the field.
That was the most points by a Knicks center since Patrick Ewing did it back in 1995.
He also became the first Knick with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 65%+ shooting in a game since Carmelo Anthony in 2014.
Towns was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in December, leading New York to a 12-2 record while averaging 23.2 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.
None of that seems to matter to Phoenix.
Suns Ready for Major Changes
The Suns are in full rebuild mode after a disaster of a season. Despite starting the year with the highest payroll in NBA history, they missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Owner Mat Ishbia has spent a staggering $860 million since taking over in 2023, and what does he have to show for it? Just two playoff wins.
The team recently fired head coach Mike Budenholzer and replaced him with Jordan Ott. They also named Brian Gregory as their new general manager.
The “Big Three” experiment with Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Durant is likely over.
Those three stars are set to make $162 million next season alone – that’s 73% of the team’s entire payroll. Phoenix is already looking at being $25 million over the second tax apron next season, their fourth straight year as a luxury tax team.
Durant, who turns 36 in September, is entering the final year of his contract. He becomes eligible for a two-year, $124 million extension right after the NBA Finals end.
Will he even be wearing a Suns uniform by then? That’s the big question in Phoenix right now.
