Karl-Anthony Towns For Bam Adebayo? Jeff Teague Thinks It's A Good Idea

Now that the Trae Young deal has gone down, the trade buzz around the NBA community will only grow stronger as fans and pundits speculate on the next big move to happen. If you ask Jeff Teague, he’ll pull the trigger on a trade that involves big men this time.

On “Club 520,” Teague put his GM hat on and laid out a proposal: Karl-Anthony Towns for Bam Adebayo. The player-turned-podcaster went on to explain his logic by saying that the Knicks are underutilizing their five-time All-Star.

“Obviously, y’all don’t want to score big,” Teague said of the Knicks. “Because y’all don’t give him the ball.”

In Teague’s mind, New York would be better off with the skill set that Adebayo brings to the table. “You might as well get a defensive-minded guy that can make plays,” he added.

Both Towns and Adebayo are still searching for their first NBA title, and in their careers, they have taken different routes to get closer to the summit. 

Towns spent his first nine seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it was only towards the end of his stint there that the team made serious noise in the postseason. After the Wolves were eliminated in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, Towns was traded to the New York Knicks, who would then make a conference final appearance a year later.

In contrast, Adebayo has played for no other team since being drafted by the Heat in 2017. The three-time All-Star has taken two trips to the NBA Finals, though the Heat came up short on both occasions. Nevertheless, Adebayo has remained a vital cog of coach Erik Spoelstra’s system all these years.

A Towns-for-Adebayo trade, however, might adversely affect the two teams involved. The Knicks are currently fourth in offensive rating, but would they remain that way if they part ways with a scorer who puts up 21.4 points per game? How would the Heat, a top-five defense in the league, withstand the departure of their best protector in the paint?

If Teague’s trade idea comes to fruition, it would grab headlines just like the Trae Young news did. However, both the Knicks and the Heat would have to be comfortable with the risk that they’re taking in that scenario.