Karl-Anthony Towns wants to stay in New York. The Knicks want the same thing. Yet the money separating the two sides has turned what should be a straightforward extension into an uncomfortable opening to the defending champions’ season. Towns is willing to take less than his maximum. But the discount the Knicks are asking for has reportedly crossed a line for the All-Star big man.
“Karl-Anthony Towns, from what I have been told, is willing, similar to what Jalen Brunson did. Numbers aren’t the same, but he is also willing to take a pay cut,” Malika Andrews said on ESPN’s NBA Today. But there is a limit to how much he will surrender.
“But the pay cut that the Knicks are asking him to take, he views as ‘unreasonable’” she further added.
Brian Windhorst then offered a more optimistic read, saying he expects the two sides to eventually have an amicable solution.
“I would speculate that ultimately they come together and make a deal. Not today, but at some point, I think that there is a middle ground where they’re going to want to make this happen,” Windy responded.
Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth roughly $276 million. Meanwhile, the Knicks have reportedly been targeting a deal in the $45 million to $50 million annual range, as per Ian Begley.
New York’s salary situation has already forced difficult decisions.
The Knicks couldn’t keep Mitchell Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Celtics. Notably, he was the longest-serving Knicks player on the championship roster.
Moreover, the team continues to operate under the NBA’s second-apron restrictions. That leaves the front office with even less room to maneuver as it tries to keep the rest of its championship core together.
Karl-Anthony Towns is now at the center of that same financial equation. But with far more money involved.
Brunson’s contract is the obvious comparison.
In 2024, he signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension despite being eligible for $269 million the following summer. He sacrificed $113 million in guaranteed money to give the Knicks greater roster flexibility.
The sacrifice did pay off.
But Brunson’s sacrifice doesn’t automatically establish a number every other core player should accept.
Towns is entering the season as a 6x All-Star and an NBA champion after averaging 20.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, and 3.0 apg during the 2025-26 regular season. He also produced 15.9 ppg and 10.6 rpg in the title run.
Above all, Karl-Anthony Towns hasn’t hidden where he stands.
“I mean, I’ve made it known. You know, I want to, you know, play here. I’ve been a fan since I was young, and, you know, so I would like to get one done, of course,” Towns said at Media Day.
“That’s obvious, you know, I would like to get it done so I could step on that court and feel comfortable as possible.”
That last part explains why the negotiations matter beyond the eventual dollar figure. The front office even asked Towns whether he was comfortable entering the season with the talks unresolved.
“I think in this situation, there’s no comfortability to be had. So that’s probably the best answer to that.”
Moreover, this isn’t a one-off issue for the front office. Even Josh Hart is eligible for an extension. So, if they don’t find a middle ground, then the breakup is inevitable.
Hart has also expressed a similar desire for clarity, warning that if his own extension situation remains unresolved into February, “it might be a different conversation.” NY, therefore, enters its title defense with two core pieces carrying contract uncertainty.
Still, Karl-Anthony Towns’ situation differs from Brunson’s in one major way. The Knicks do not need him to prove his commitment by accepting any specific number. They need to find a figure that protects their long-term flexibility.
Most importantly, it shouldn’t make Towns feel that the team has discounted the championship that he helped to deliver.