As the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns work through a stalled extension situation, one rival executive believes a couple of teams could be ready to jump in if Towns ever becomes available.
The executive pointed to the Bulls and Clippers as the cleanest possible landing spots. Chicago and Los Angeles, he said, stand out because of the cap space and the fit. He also mentioned the Nets, Golden State and Dallas as teams that could create room, but not in the same way.
“Only a few possible suitors stand out to me right now in terms of cap space teams and fit. Chicago and the Clippers have the cleanest path.
The Nets can get there with the money, but that’s not a good fit. Golden State and Dallas could get around [$50 million] in space with more tinkering.”
The chatter comes after reporting in early October from Shams Charania detailed the tension around Towns and Josh Hart extensions, with James Dolan at the center of the talks. Charania said Towns has been open to a discount, but the Knicks are pushing for a bigger cut.
“There's a growing cloud around the New York Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns has made it clear to the Knicks that he is willing to take a considerable discount on his contract extension coming up, just like his teammates have: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, as well as Jalen Brunson.
Right now, the Knicks want him to take a substantial pay cut, what he believes to be an extreme discount on his deal. Sources tell me the Knicks are offering Towns a 4-year, approximately $200 million contract extension.
That's $76 million less than his max. That's under the backdrop of James Dolan, their owner, making it clear that this team will not be in the second apron moving forward.”
Soon after, New York stopped extension talks once the season began.
“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of. As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season,” a Knicks spokesperson said in a statement.
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