The New York Knicks have just one month before their regular season opener, and they need to sort out Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract. He is set to make $57.0 million this season and has a $61.0 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. KAT could decline that option and be an unrestricted free agent next summer. It is time to get a deal done, but it isn’t easy.
Every dollar counts in the second apron era. The Knicks won the championship, but owner James Dolan made it clear they wouldn’t spend into the second apron. New York lost Mitchell Robinson in free agency, which made KAT even more important. The Knicks can offer Towns a maximum four-year, $272 million extension (subscription required), but they must find common ground on a lower number to avoid Dolan's spending cap.
The defending champs open the regular season on October 20 with ring night against the Philadelphia 76ers. They can extend the 30-year-old big man through June 30, but things get more complicated during the regular season. Towns has nothing to prove. New York needs to do something before opening night, or the risks keep rising.
Karl-Anthony Towns just proved he’s worth every penny
KAT sacrificed under head coach Mike Brown. He played a career-low 31.0 minutes per game and had his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. Towns did less to maximize the team, and the big man took on a different role in the playoffs. His scoring dipped further, but KAT’s playmaking increased. He stepped up the defense and shooting to become a two-way force. Towns was the anchor of a championship defense.
It wasn’t his best statistical year, but it was his most impressive. Towns adapted to what the Knicks needed, and it resulted in playoff domination. New York lost just three postseason games on their way to a title.
Towns can score 20 points every night, be the hub of an elite offense, and lock in on defense when his team needs him. That sounds like an elite talent and max player, but the NBA changed things when they introduced the second apron.
Knicks’ second apron avoidance could cost them Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns is worthy of a max contract, but he needs to sacrifice to keep this core together. The NBA increasing the salary cap projection helped, but New York is just $9.3 million under the second apron in the 2027-28 season with only ten players under contract. They need to get Towns’ $61.0 million salary down to have room to add pieces.
The Knicks have work to do. Josh Hart is extension-eligible right now. They have to sort out new contracts for Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby next summer. All of those players want raises after snapping New York’s title drought, but the second apron doesn’t allow that.
Fans have seen the Celtics and Thunder lose pieces of their title rosters to avoid the second apron. The Knicks instantly lost Mitch Rob, and can only keep their five starters if discounts are accepted. New York has difficult decisions to make, and the time is now for two of them. They’d love to keep KAT and Hart, but only if the money is right.
Knicks need to keep Karl-Anthony Towns even if it costs a max
The big man market keeps getting more expensive. The Lakers just gave up two first-round draft picks and two swaps to get Walker Kessler. Backup big man Jock Landale got $14.1 million in free agency from the Hawks. Every team wants size, and there are only so many big men in the NBA.
KAT will get max contract offers if he reaches free agency. The Clippers are primed with money to spend and no draft capital after their recent punishment. They would offer a shot to play in Los Angeles and give Towns some leverage over the Knicks. The Clippers wouldn’t be the only team lining up to try to get the six-time All-Star out of the Big Apple.
New York needs an elite big man to match up against Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley, Joel Embiid, and the rest of the NBA’s centers. Mitch Rob is gone, and the Knicks don’t have the assets to trade for a replacement. They need to keep KAT long-term, and the time to extend him is over the next month.
Pushing Karl-Anthony Towns’ extension talks into the regular season only hurts the Knicks
KAT will be motivated to prove New York wrong if he doesn’t get a contract before the regular season opener. That could mean trying to put up monster numbers instead of playing his role.
Towns is an elite big man. If he goes off early, it will be max contract or nothing. The Knicks need to save some money to keep the rest of their core, so they can’t let this drag out.
The pressure is on. Their front office has one month to get a deal done. The Knicks should present Towns with a plan that outlines how taking less money allows New York to keep the core together. That is their best shot at getting KAT on a discount.
The New York Knicks have one month to extend Karl-Anthony Towns before things get even more complicated. The six-time All-Star just proved he is an elite big man and deserving of a massive contract. New York doesn’t win the title without him. It is time to reward Towns with a new deal, but the Knicks want it to come on the right terms. They need to get it done eventually. Hopefully it is before ring night.
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