After just completing a deal to acquire OG Anunoby from the Raptors, the Knicks are rumored to be actively looking for a trade partner, as they have assets to spend, including eight first-round selections.That is to say, whispers are circulating throughout the league that the Timberwolves’ 3x All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns is one of their next key trade targets, but no solid offer has been made as of yet.

During an appearance on FanDuel TV, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Knicks are “always going to have interest in” acquiring the 7-foot big man if made available by the Timberwolves.

Important to realize, that a mid-season splash move for Towns may be a hard bargain to make, considering that the Timberwolves are currently the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 24-8 record. With this in mind, the 28-year-old Towns is finally a part of a contending Timberwolves team for the first time in his nine-year career, so any deal for the Timberwolves’ 2015 first-overall pick, more likely than not, will require multiple players and have draft picks involved.The Knicks recently acquired Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn while sending RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors. Certainly, Anunoby, who led the NBA in steals last season, will fit right into Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive-minded scheme and be a big upgrade for a New York team, who have been lacking defensively. Nevertheless, this also means Knicks’ co-stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle will now be left to carry most of the load offensively. Thereupon, this deal may have opened up the opportunity to bring in another offensive star, leading Knicks president Leon Rose to seek another in-season blockbuster trade.

“It’ll be interesting to see how long it’ll be before the Knicks make another move,” an NBA executive told HoopsHype. “There’s not a lot of shot creation for other players on the roster now, and there’s a lot of pressure on Brunson. I get why New York made the trade. The team was playing selfishly. Anunoby is a better fit with what they have than Barrett.”

With the Knicks parting ways with two shot-creators in Barrett and Quickley, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Quentin Grimes will all be now pushed into larger roles in the rotation.

By all means, a player like Towns may be interesting to pair with Randle, especially considering the Knicks have been searching for a consistent frontcourt player, following the loss of starting 7-foot center Mitchell Robinson, who will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing ankle surgery.