“It don’t look good”: Karl-Anthony Towns admits contract talks with the Knicks stall despite his willingness to help
Like Brunson, Towns is willing to take a pay cut to help the Knicks maintain a competitive roster
The New York Knicks are preparing to raise their championship banner and receive their hardware against the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night inside Madison Square Garden , but star center Karl-Anthony Towns admits that an extension is unlikely to materialize before the regular-season tip-off on October 20th .
Towns, who holds a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign , is technically eligible to lock in a massive four-year, $276 million extension .
However, league sources indicate that both sides remain significantly wide apart in negotiations, with current proposals from the front office falling into the $45 million to $50 million per year bracket rather than matching his maximum value demands.
Karl-Anthony Towns Admits Extension Talks Have Stalled
To preserve their championship core, sidestep the restrictive financial penalties of the second apron , and clear a path to hand Jalen Brunson his max extension next summer, New York requires financial flexibility that depends on players accepting team-friendly deals.
Towns stated that he remains open to taking less money to keep the roster together, provided that the organization properly values his contributions and the accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons.
“Simply put, I want to do something that can keep the team together and work with the Knicks and also values me,” Towns remarked. “None of those things have come close to happening.” When pressed by reporters on whether securing a deal should be straightforward given the team's historic success, his candid response was direct: “No s--t, Sherlock.”
Since arriving in Manhattan in 2024 , Towns has anchored a powerhouse squad that reached the conference finals before capturing the Knicks' first title in over 50 years.
He has maintained elite individual production, averaging 22.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game , while shooting an impressive 39.5 percent from beyond the arc and is widely regarded as the NBA's premier stretch big man.
