The New York Knicks appear to be doing everything they can (within reason) to keep Karl-Anthony Towns.
New York has talked to Towns’ camp about deals that start in the range of $45 million-to-$50 million per year, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reported this week. Begley adds that talks have been “positive” and that the Knicks have communicated to Towns how highly they think of him.
This update comes after we learned earlier in the week that Towns had hit a snag in his negotiations with the team on a new deal. Towns, who is eligible for a max extension, was reported at the time to be unlikely to strike a deal with the Knicks before training camp.
The six-time NBA All-Star Towns turns 31 in November. He has been a centerpiece for the Knicks over his first two seasons with them, averaging 22.2 points per game, making back-to-back All-Star teams and an All-NBA team, and anchoring the interior as New York went on to win the championship this past season for the first time since 1973.
But Towns is about to enter the final guaranteed year of his current contract next season at $57 million. He also has a $61 million player option for 2027-28.
Despite their title victory, Knicks badly want to avoid the second apron of the luxury tax, which already led to them losing fellow center Mitchell Robinson in free agency this summer. At the same time, Knicks superstar guard Brunson is expected to get an absolutely enormous extension next summer, and New York also currently has to navigate uncertain extension situations with supporting players such as Josh Hart and Miles McBride.
Towns was recently said to be frustrated with the Knicks even after the championship win. While a contract topping out at around $50 million per year could be all that the team can reasonably offer, Towns himself might not be too incentivized to accept such a deal coming off all his continued success.
