Matt Barnes has sparked speculation about potential locker room tension between Karl-Anthony Towns and his New York Knicks teammates.
On All The Smoke, Barnes questioned whether Towns’ teammates truly support him, pointing to a moment after a recent loss to the Warriors when multiple Knicks players were seen dapping up Draymond Green—the same player who had spent weeks trash-talking KAT both on and off the court.
“If I’m KAT, whether I say something or not, I’m looking at all these n***s that were dapping up the dude that was dogging me for the last two weeks, like, damn, is that how y’all feel? I love KAT. I think KAT is probably one of the most talented players in the league, but his issue is he’s a cat—he’s not a dog.”
“Still skilled, still will be a Hall of Famer, still an All-Star, but he’s just not a dog. And I think Draymond can see that, sniff it out, and he attacks. Obviously, Draymond has smoke with KAT. New York loses, KAT heads to the locker room, and then you see a bunch of his teammates dapping up Draymond.”
“You know, I was someone who lost probably $600,000 worth of shit for taking up for my teammates. So if someone has smoke with my teammate and there’s real smoke, it’s smoke. Period. What that tells me is, are they really riding with KAT like that?”
“If someone is dogging KAT and then after the game, the person that’s dogging KAT is getting bro love from the team—if I’m KAT, I’m kind of looking at these n****s like, what’s the deal?”
Barnes didn’t mince words, explaining that he would have never tolerated such behavior from his teammates if someone had been relentlessly going after one of them.
This latest drama stems from Green’s comments on his podcast, where he accused Towns of purposely missing a game to avoid facing Jimmy Butler. Given their infamous history in Minnesota, where Butler humiliated Towns during a 2018 practice and later forced his way off the team, the accusation was explosive.
But it turned out to be completely false—Towns had missed the game for personal reasons, as his girlfriend’s best friend had passed away. Green offered what many deemed a pathetic non-apology. Rather than taking full accountability, Green brushed it off and kept his focus on his podcast antics.
When the Knicks and Warriors finally played, the intensity between Green and Towns was obvious. Green continued taunting Towns, calling him “soft” during the game and telling him to “take a seat” after picking up his third foul.
Towns, in response, stood his ground and jawed back at Green multiple times in a game where he dropped 29 points and 12 rebounds. However, the Knicks fell short as the Warriors pulled off a narrow victory, adding even more fuel to the rivalry.
What really caught Barnes’ attention was the post-game moment where several Knicks players were seen laughing and dapping up Green while Towns walked off the court alone. Given how personal the trash talk had been, Barnes questioned if Towns’ teammates truly had his back.
Draymond Green postgame with Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, Tom Thibodeau, MarJon Beauchamp, Darren Erman, Precious Achiuwa, Mikal Bridges and PJ Tucker pic.twitter.com/ukO0b3ADUC
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 16, 2025
Barnes’ comments suggest that Towns may not have full respect or loyalty from the Knicks locker room. If your teammate has been called “soft” and falsely accused of ducking an opponent, shouldn’t the entire team stand behind him?
The image of Knicks players embracing Green right after such a heated battle raises legitimate questions about Towns’ standing within the squad.
Towns has been playing at an All-NBA level this season, averaging 24.2 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. He’s been instrumental in keeping the Knicks near the top of the East despite injuries to Jalen Brunson. But the optics of this situation can’t be ignored.
If Towns feels isolated in the locker room or believes that his teammates don’t fully support him, it could lead to bigger issues down the line. While there haven’t been any public signs of tension between KAT and his teammates, Barnes’ comments suggest that the Draymond Green incident may have exposed cracks in the foundation.
For now, Towns will have to keep proving himself on the court, but if this perceived lack of loyalty persists, it will be interesting to see how long KAT stays committed to the Knicks.
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