Karl-Anthony Towns may win an NBA championship with the New York Knicks within a few days … but even that might not be enough to save him.
The future of the Knicks star Towns will be in question this offseason even if they win the title, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Sunday. Amick notes that there are concerns for the Knicks about the second apron of the luxury tax as well as a desire to be smart with their payroll so as not to compromise their roster depth.
Towns, a six-time All-Star at 30 years old, is in his second career season with New York. He has been one of the Knicks’ most important players all year, averaging 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game during the regular season and also helping fuel their NBA Finals run with his three-point shooting, his impressive playmaking, and his tough interior defense (all as a seven-footer to boot).
But the Knicks will also be facing a contract reality with Towns after the season. He is signed for $57.1 million next season but can test free agency after that by turning down a $61 million player option for 2027-28.
Should the Knicks go on to win it all, Towns and his camp will obviously be in a very strong position to ask for a lucrative new contract extension. But with teammates Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges all making over $30 million a year through at least 2028, it may not be as simple for the Knicks as just paying Towns.
We heard a few months ago, well before the Knicks’ Finals run, that Towns was supposedly unhappy in New York. The Knicks also reportedly had discussions with multiple teams about potentially trading Towns, so even hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy might not necessarily be enough to make all of that go away.
