Madison Square Garden has celebrated plenty of superheroes over the decades. Karl-Anthony Towns may have just written himself into that conversation after helping deliver the franchise’s first title since 1973. But every superhero eventually faces another test, and Towns’ next one may come at the negotiating table rather than on the court.

Towns is entering the offseason with two very different paths ahead. The All-Star remains under contract through the 2026-27 season and holds a $61.57 million player option for 2027-28, but he is also eligible to sign a new four-year extension worth as much as $272 million. According to ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks, however, whether that extension comes at the maximum value could shape New York’s championship future.

ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks pointed to Towns’ extension as the Knicks’ biggest long-term roster decision. “Towns for me is fascinating because of what it could set up for what happens with that roster there. Next year is Jalen Brunson and OG, and all these numbers start to add up. What is—will the Towns number be lower? Give them the flexibility,” Marks said.

Marks believes New York’s championship core can stay together only if everyone continues making financial compromises. “There’s been a lot of sacrifice, right? Brunson started it. Mikal a little bit as far as what he did last year. And then OG would be up again eventually. So it’s like, you want to keep the train going, but there has to be some financial implications long term there,” he explained.

Marks explained that the challenge extends beyond Towns himself. Modern maximum contracts continue to rise with the salary cap, and if Towns signs a full four-year maximum extension while Jalen Brunson later lands his projected veteran max, those two contracts alone could account for nearly 80 percent of New York’s salary cap by the 2028-29 season. That would make it significantly harder to keep the Knicks’ championship core intact while avoiding the NBA’s restrictive second apron.

Even so, Marks believes there is middle ground between a full maximum extension and letting negotiations drag into free agency. “I do think there’s a compromise out there with an extension here,” he concluded.

Towns, meanwhile, has made it clear where he stands. Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill reported that the Knicks did not offer him an extension before the championship season, leaving the All-Star disappointed. Despite that, Towns still told Goodwill he wants to be “a Knick for life.”

Goodwill added that Towns has largely avoided dwelling on the uncertainty. “These are the things that handle themselves in the offseason as long as I handle myself on the floor,” Towns said, with Goodwill adding that the championship-winning big man is now expecting “some resolution” to his contract situation this offseason.

Why the Knicks need another sacrifice

The biggest reason centers on 2028. That’s when Jalen Brunson is expected to become eligible for another lucrative extension. Brunson previously accepted what was widely reported as a $113 million discount by signing his current extension early, later calling the decision “100 percent worth it” after helping New York win the championship. That financial flexibility allowed the Knicks to strengthen their roster while remaining below the NBA’s second apron.

That backdrop is exactly why Marks believes Towns’ negotiations carry such significance. If the Knicks hand Towns a full maximum extension before Brunson’s next deal arrives, maintaining long-term flexibility becomes increasingly difficult under the NBA’s current financial system.

As Brian Windhorst noted during the same discussion, the uncertainty is less about whether Towns deserves a maximum contract and more about whether the Knicks can realistically build around one while staying below the second apron, particularly after owner James Dolan publicly stated the franchise does not intend to cross that threshold.

Staying below the second apron has become a priority because teams above that threshold lose several key roster-building tools, including the ability to aggregate salaries in trades, use certain trade exceptions and sign higher-priced free agents through the mid-level exception. For a defending champion hoping to keep improving around its core, those restrictions can quickly limit roster flexibility.

Whether Towns ultimately chooses that path remains to be seen. At 30 years old and coming off a championship season, few would fault him for pursuing every dollar available in a maximum extension.

But if New York hopes to keep Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby and Towns together for years to come, Bobby Marks’ point becomes difficult to ignore. The Knicks have already watched one cornerstone sacrifice financially to preserve a contender. Their next championship window may ultimately depend on whether Towns is willing to do the same.