The Knicks’ next major roster decision may already be taking shape, and it looks a lot like the one the Celtics made with Jaylen Brown.
Boston moved Brown before he became eligible for a two-year supermax extension the team wasn’t comfortable handing out. Rather than let that situation drift into a mess, Brad Stevens acted first and sent him away before it reached a breaking point.
Now the Knicks are staring at a similar kind of pressure with Karl-Anthony Towns. He has been eligible for an extension all summer, but as training camp nears, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that no deal is expected and that Towns will go into the final guaranteed year of his current contract.
That leaves New York in a tricky spot. Towns is a huge piece for the defending champs and an All-NBA player, but the four-year, $276 million extension he can sign is a massive commitment in the apron era. Charania noted that owner James Dolan has said the team will not go into the second apron, yet under the roster as it stands, that looks unavoidable next season unless there are major changes to the core.
So the Knicks are suddenly dealing with the possibility that their second-best player could be on track for free agency next summer. That is exactly the kind of outcome the Celtics wanted to stay ahead of, and it has become much harder under the current CBA to justify paying elite money to stars who are not in that very top tier.
Brown was the warning sign, and Towns is turning into one too. New York could still make an extension work, but the path likely means sacrificing depth next season or moving another major piece such as OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, or Mikal Bridges. There is also the possibility of Towns taking a hometown discount, though Charania’s reporting suggests that is not on the table right now.
It is the harsh edge of the current CBA. The rules are built to make it hard for strong teams to keep everyone together, with parity and bad contracts in the crosshairs. But the flip side is clear: it can also split up teams that look built to last.
The Celtics just went through it with Brown and Tatum. Now the Knicks, fresh off a high point, may be facing serious questions about how long this version of the team can stay intact before the celebration even cools off.
In Other News...
Anfernee Simons Just Sent Celtics Fans A Familiar Message
Anfernee Simons is arriving in Philadelphia with a familiar perspective on what his next role might look like. After spending time as a starter with the Portland Trail Blazers, he also recently handled a bench role with the Celtics, and his comments on a podcast suggested he views the adjustment through a positive lens rather than as a setback. For a Sixers team that signed him in free agency, that matters because the plan is to use him as the first guard off the bench and count on him to strengthen the second unit.
For Celtics fans, the message will sound familiar because they already watched Simons navigate that kind of shift. His willingness to embrace the bench gives Philadelphia another useful scorer and a player comfortable with different responsibilities, which can be a real asset over the course of a season. The only question now is how quickly that mindset translates once the games begin and the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Face A Costly Payton Pritchard Decision Soon
Payton Pritchard is approaching a pivotal stretch with the Celtics, as he becomes eligible to sign a contract extension on Oct. 1. Boston has already been active in locking up other pieces, and Pritchard is now squarely in the group the team is expected to weigh carefully as it looks to keep the roster intact.
The timing matters because Pritchard just had his best NBA season and is projected to have a major role again this year. A deal in the neighborhood of three years and $67 million would signal real commitment from the Celtics, but it would also add another costly decision to a payroll picture that has been tightening around the teams core. [Read more 🡒]
Jayson Tatum Put On Blast As Celtics Loyalty Debate Heats Up
DeMarcus Cousins added a fresh layer to the Celtics conversation this week when he took aim at Jayson Tatum on a podcast, arguing that Tatum should have checked in on Jaylen Brown after Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. The criticism centered less on basketball than on loyalty, with Cousins saying he was disappointed Tatum did not reach out during what he viewed as a difficult stretch in Browns career.
Tatum has publicly spoken highly of Brown over the years, but Cousins suggested those remarks were more about image than genuine support. For Celtics fans, the debate taps into a familiar offseason undercurrent: how much of a star partnership is built on real bond, and how much of it is just what gets said when everyone is watching? [Read more 🡒]