Many believe the New York Knicks need to sign Karl-Anthony Towns to an extension before their title defense kicks off. In actuality, though, waiting until after the season is over would give them more flexibility to figure out other moves, including Deuce McBride’s free agency, Jalen Brunson’s own extension eligibility, and any other tweaks.
Let’s make one thing clear right out of the gate: Waiting to pay KAT is not a road the Knicks can travel down unless the two parties are on the same page. If they believe he’d be enticed by expensive overtures from desperate suitors flush with cash, then the Leon Rose-led front office needs to operate with more urgency, albeit still responsibly.
At the same time, this team is nothing if not seemingly in sync. That is how you get contracts like the one given to Landry Shamet. It is also how you, ya know, deliver one of the most dominant playoff runs of all time en route to a championship.
Assuming everyone involved understands the mission (i.e. keep the band together as long as possible), the Knicks are better off letting KAT’s contract situation ride into next offseason.
Waiting to extend KAT gives the Knicks more clarity
We can blather on about how expensive New York’s roster will be in 2027-28 and beyond all we want. It’s also just guesstimates until we have concrete numbers.
Towns’ next contract is part of that equation. But so is Deuce McBride’s impending free agency. The same goes for Josh Hart’s 2027-28 team option.
Like KAT, both McBride and Hart are eligible to sign extensions. Though hashing out deals for all three before the season starts would provide plenty of clarity, the Knicks would be paying them without having finalized salary-cap projections.
The league has already adjusted its 2027-28 forecast once. It could happen again. And unlike the latest projection, the next one might not help New York. Conversely, it could help them even more. Either way, every dollar counts when you’re working razor-thin margins below the apron.
Most critically, looking beyond the 2027-28 campaign, the Knicks don’t yet know how much Jalen Brunson’s next contract will run them. Any extension he signs after the upcoming season would take effect in 2028-29. But will he be getting the projected max of four years and $286.5 million? Or might he take another discount?
New York will have the answer to that question, along the price points of Hart, McBride and the salary, next summer. By waiting until then to sign Towns, they can structure his contract in a way that maximizes the chances of keeping the core together while skirting the second apron.
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