Could Hornets Be Landing Spot For Karl-Anthony Towns Amid Trade Rumors?

The Charlotte Hornets roster has a lot of depth on it, with the front office building out the team well over the summer.

After trading away star guard LaMelo Ball, the Hornets have focused on adding players who can help them on both ends of the floor. Charlotte wants to turn its defensive identity around this coming season after a middle-of-the-pack year.

The Hornets offense was one of the best in the NBA a year ago, but now the team needs the defense to play up to par. If this can happen, Charlotte could easily be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference, giving them the potential for a fun season.

But while the Hornets have strong wing depth, the team also needs a little more help in the frontcourt. Charlotte does have bodies that they can use, but if the Hornets were to bring in an established star, it could change everything for this group.

One name that could make sense for the Hornets is veteran center Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks. Towns just helped the Knicks win the NBA title, but the two sides have been stalling on contract talks.

This has led to all sorts of trade rumors around the six-time All-Star, with many thinking that he could be moved at some point. New York doesn't seem to want to hand him a large, long-term deal, and this may open the door for a team like Charlotte to add him.

Towns has been one of the best offensive big men in the game since he was drafted, and he could give this team a much higher ceiling. While Towns isn't a lockdown defender, he is able to hold his own and wouldn't be much of a liability for the Hornets.

The team could pair him alongside Naz Reid, the player they received back in the Ball trade this summer. Reid has the defensive ability that could help mask any issues in Towns' game, while giving the Hornets a lethal frontcourt duo.

Both Towns and Reid can space the floor very effectively, giving the team more weapons to use on that end of the floor. The two have also played together before with the Minnesota Timberwolves, giving each guy more established chemistry already.

Last season, Towns averaged 20.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. The veteran big shot 36.8 percent from beyond the three-point line as well.

If Towns is available, the Hornets want may to at least see what it could take to land his services, and this could help them get over the hump in the East. Towns is an established star in the NBA, and he could pair well alongside Reid, Brandon Miller, and others moving forward.