Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) controls the ball against Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

While New York Knicks guards Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart share NBA Cup motivation for different reasons, former NBA guard Jeff Teague is endorsing All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns. On a recent episode of the Club 520 podcast, Teague labeled Towns as someone who’s quickly rising into the conversation for this year’s Most Valuable Player.

The highlight clip of Towns playing through Magic center Mo Wagner's physical defense embodied the Magic's hard-nosed, blue-collar effort for the 2024-25 season. They came into Tuesday's contest at 14-7, which ranks them third in the Eastern Conference.