Karl-Anthony Towns is already extension-eligible, and that puts the Knicks in the middle of the most important financial decision they have hanging over the roster.
There are still smaller questions in KnicksLand as the 2026-27 season gets closer. What happens with the 14th roster spot?
Does New York use it on a big? If so, which one?
Or does the front office move one of its guards to patch the depth behind KAT? Those are real issues, but they sit behind the bigger one: how Towns gets paid next.
The new NBA league year opened on July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, which lifted the transaction freeze and allowed teams to sign free agents and complete trades. It also marked the day more than 100 players became eligible to extend their contracts, Towns included.
Some people questioned whether the Knicks paid too much when they traded for him from Minnesota in October 2024. Towns answered plenty of that noise during the run to a title this past spring. Even in a year some labeled a “down year,” he still averaged 20/12/3 and became just the second player in NBA history, alongside Nikola Jokic, to post 20-plus points on over 50% shooting, 11-plus rebounds, 3-plus assists and 1.5 made threes in consecutive seasons.
The postseason is where his case really hardened. After the Knicks asked him to become the team’s offensive hub early in the Hawks series, New York surged and never really slowed down, winning 15 of its final 16 playoff games. Towns’ Finals numbers dipped because of foul trouble and some questionable whistles, but he still finished the 2026 playoffs at 15.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.4 threes per game while shooting over 55% from the floor, 45.5 from three and 90.9% from the line.
He put up those numbers while also delivering the best defensive stretch of his career. In the 182 possessions where Towns was the primary defender on Victor Wembanyama in the Finals, Wemby shot 39% (16-for-41) and just 1-of-5 from deep, and he had more than twice as many turnovers (9) as assists (4).
Basketball-Reference says Towns is the first and only player in NBA history to average more than 15 points per game while shooting above 55% from the field, above 45% from three and above 90% from the free-throw line across an entire playoff run. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as only the third seven-footer ever to average at least 4.9 assists per game in a postseason, with a minimum of 10 games played.
The plus-minus only adds to the argument. New York outscored opponents by 258 points in the 577 minutes Towns was on the floor this postseason, the best mark in the playoffs and the highest single-postseason plus-minus in NBA history.
That kind of production gives Towns real leverage, but it does not guarantee the Knicks will hand him the maximum.
He has two years left on the four-year, $224 million super max extension he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in July 2022. He is set to make $57.1 million in 2026-27, and the final year of the deal carries a player option worth $62.8 million.
If Towns declines that option before the 2027-28 season, he becomes eligible for a four-year, $272 million extension. He could also pick up the 2027-28 option and then extend for three more years and $208 million, which would produce an even higher annual average of about $69.3 million.
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Minnesotas reported interest now adds a little urgency to the picture, since the Knicks have not re-signed Sochan and may not want to let the conversation linger too long. For a team trying to shore up depth without overcommitting, the decision is less about splash and more about timing, and the longer this drags on, the more it starts to feel like a race against another teams patience. [Read more 🡒]
Shaqs Knicks Title Take Will Have Fans Arguing All Day
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He highlighted OG Anunobys tip-in and the Knicks rally from a 29-point hole as examples of how thin the margin was on the way to the title, even while giving Jalen Brunson his due for playing through injury and carrying so much of the load. ONeal even drew a comparison between Brunsons demeanor and Kobe Bryants, which only added another layer to a discussion that figures to linger in New York for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Tricky Center Decision Before A Bigger Move Opens Up
The Knicks are still piecing together the end of their roster, and the center spot remains one of the more interesting decisions left on the board. One name that fits the discussion is Kelly Olynyk, whose value has always been tied more to what he can do with the ball than what he can stop on the other end. His shooting and passing would give New York another layer of offensive depth, which matters for a team that has tried to keep its frontcourt options flexible.
Olynyk also comes with some familiar tradeoffs, including age and defense, but there is a practical angle here beyond the skill set. He spent time in San Antonio recently, so there is at least some familiarity with the Spurs system as the Knicks weigh whether he is the right fit for a third-string role. With a bigger move still potentially waiting in the wings, this is exactly the kind of small but meaningful roster call that can shape the next step. [Read more 🡒]