Four months ago, Karl-Anthony Towns posted a +258 across New York’s title run, the highest single-postseason plus-minus in NBA history, and helped end the Knicks’ 53-year championship drought. Now his contract talks have stalled, and people are already naming teams that could be his next stop.

One anonymous NBA executive told the New York Post which teams are best placed to make a run at Towns if he doesn’t sign a new deal with New York. NBACentral later shared the assessment on X.

“Only a few possible suitors stand out to me right now in terms of cap space teams and fit. Chicago and the Clippers have the cleanest path. The Nets can get there with the money, but that’s not a good fit. Golden State and Dallas could get around [$50 million] in space with more tinkering,” the executive said.

Towns is earning $57.1 million this season and holds a $61.1 million player option for 2027-28. Oct. 19 is the last day he can sign an extension without touching that option. After that, any in-season deal would require him to decline it first. If he does and no agreement follows, he could reach free agency in July 2027, and that’s when teams with room come into play.

But why do the Chicago Bulls make sense as a destination?

ESPN’s Bobby Marks lists the six-time champion Bulls among the teams that could have room in summer 2027, thanks to a wave of expiring money. Their frontcourt is built around rim protector Nic Claxton, acquired this summer, with Zach Collins behind him. Neither stretches the floor the way Towns does.

A big man who shot 36.8% from three last season would give Josh Giddey a reliable spacer and give Matas Buzelis and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson time to develop. Chicago also has a new front office led by Bryson Graham and a new coach in Tiago Splitter, and Towns would give them the headliner most rebuilds lack.

The Clippers’ case is different. After the NBA stripped them of five first-round picks in the Kawhi Leonard case, free agency is one of the few ways left for them to add a star. Golden State, a seven-time champion, and Dallas would need more maneuvering to get to roughly $50 million in room.

Still, none of this is a reported pursuit, and Towns remains under contract with the Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony Urges Knicks to Keep Their Championship Core Together

The rumors follow the Knicks’ decision on Oct. 9 to table extension negotiations with all eligible players until later in the season. New York reportedly offered four years and about $200 million, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, while Towns is eligible for a deal worth up to $276 million. That’s a gap of roughly $76 million.

The Knicks also have financial limits. After the title, owner James Dolan made it clear the team won’t go into the second apron, which makes a max-level raise very hard to fit. The front office also has a case for a discount. In the playoffs, Towns was the team’s third-leading scorer behind Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, and he turns 31 next month.

The six-time All-Star had already signaled trouble before the pause. Speaking in Philadelphia on Oct. 5, ahead of the Knicks’ preseason opener, he made his stance clear.

“Simply put, I want to do something that can keep the team together and work with the Knicks and also values me,” Towns said. “None of those things have come close to happening.”

So when the Knicks shut down talks four days later, he didn’t hide his reaction.

“It was news to me,” he said. “Very disappointed, to say the least.”

The situation has drawn a response from Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony. Speaking on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Anthony said both sides had reason to concentrate on basketball, but he questioned how the news was delivered to Towns.

“The only thing I’m saying is you don’t break up the family. That’s all I’m going to say. You don’t break up the family,” Anthony said.

Anthony’s message is about continuity for a reigning champion. It should not be read as a prediction that Towns will leave or as an endorsement of any destination.

The Knicks could revisit talks later in the campaign. Until then, the Bulls, Clippers, Warriors and Mavericks are names to watch only if the two sides can’t close a $76 million gap.

Will the champions find a way to keep their family together?