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Lakers star LeBron James traded to Knicks in Bill Simmons’ latest proposal
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- Lakers star LeBron James traded to Knicks in Bill Simmons’ latest proposal
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A hypothetical trade sending Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James to the New York Knicks in exchange for Karl-Anthony Towns was floated this week by Bill Simmons, adding another layer to ongoing speculation surrounding both franchises amid uneven stretches of play.
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Simmons proposed the idea on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, framing it as an imperfect but intriguing solution for two teams facing different pressures.
"I say this tentatively, I'm not happy about it. LeBron for Towns is sitting there," Simmons said.
He continued by acknowledging the unlikely nature of the scenario while outlining why the framework appealed to him from a roster-building perspective.
"It's just so classic, just stupid internet trade somebody would make up. And yet I'm looking at it going, ehh not a bad trade to solve two things right," Simmons said. "If you're the Knicks just trying to get out of the Towns contract before it gets crazy. If you're the Lakers this is a pretty interesting guy to put with Luka . I'm not going to war with Luka, Towns, and Reaves together. I don't have to worry about getting nothing from LeBron a year from now. And if I'm the Knicks it's like well this will be weird with Brunson and LeBron and you know all of a sudden I don't have a center. I'll have to rely on Mitchell Robinson . There's all these other variables that are opening up. It's just fundamentally a pretty interesting basketball trade."
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Bill Simmons floats LeBron James – Karl-Anthony Towns trade between Lakers, Knicks
© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
James, 41, remains productive in his 23rd NBA season. He is averaging 22.5 points, seven assists, six rebounds and one steal per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range across 25 appearances. He is logging 33.2 minutes per contest and helped the Lakers improve to 26-16 following a 115-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, moving Los Angeles into fifth place in the Western Conference.
James is in the final year of a two-year, $101.3 million extension. He is earning $52.6 million this season and holds a no-trade clause, with unrestricted free agency looming next summer.
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Towns, 30, is in his second season with New York and the second year of a four-year, $220.4 million contract. He is making $53.1 million this season and has a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. On the court, Towns is averaging 21 points, 11.6 rebounds and three assists per game while shooting a career-low 46.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from three across 40 games, playing 32.3 minutes per night.
The Knicks have struggled collectively despite Towns' production . New York's 114-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday dropped the team to 25-18. The Knicks have gone 3-9 over their last 12 games and are just 7-11 since winning the NBA Cup in Las Vegas, though they remain third in the Eastern Conference standings.
New York will attempt to halt its slide Wednesday night when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets (12-29) at 7:30 p.m. ET to close a three-game homestand.
As for Los Angeles, the Lakers continue their eight-game road trip Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers (19-24) at 10:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video, with James still central to their immediate plans despite ongoing speculation.
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