The Knicks have spent the Leon Rose era living by one basic rule: don’t let the important guys wander toward free agency. If a player mattered, New York either extended him, traded him, or found a way to avoid the open market altogether.
Karl-Anthony Towns could be the one who breaks that pattern.
The 30-year-old is eligible for a new deal that could reach four years and $272.8 million, but the expectation around the league is that the Knicks won’t go there. For this roster to stay intact beyond next season, Towns would likely need to accept less than the $61 million player option he holds for 2027-28. Whether he’s willing to do that is another matter entirely.
That’s where things get tricky for New York. Towns may be open to a reduced number, but his idea of a discount might not line up with the Knicks’ version of one.
If the two sides sit down and find themselves too far apart, an extension could fall apart. That would put the Knicks in a spot they’ve mostly avoided under this front office: waiting out a star instead of locking him in early.
And that would be new territory.
The Knicks have built a pretty clear track record. RJ Barrett was extended.
Immanuel Quickley was moved before free agency. Julius Randle was sent out with one guaranteed year left on his contract.
Mikal Bridges signed an extension. Even Josh Hart picked up his player option before 2023 free agency and later agreed to an extension.
Deuce McBride is widely expected to be dealt by the February trade deadline with his own free agency approaching. OG Anunoby was the one near-exception, technically reaching the open market in 2024 only because his contract was too cheap to extend. Mitchell Robinson is the other notable case: the Knicks let him get to unrestricted free agency instead of extending him, and he left.
Towns doesn’t fit that bucket. Robinson was an often-injured backup big.
Towns is an All-NBA player with a skill set that’s rare for his position. The consequences are simply different.
That’s why extending him before next season has to be the top priority. Even if the Knicks don’t get a massive bargain, getting a deal done now would give the front office more certainty as it maps out the roster and the cap sheet.
If no extension happens, the Knicks would have to let this play out until next summer. They wouldn’t have much of a choice.
Unlike the players New York has moved before, Towns isn’t easily replaced. The Knicks don’t have the financial flexibility to go shopping for a similar player, and seven-footers who can stretch the floor and initiate offense don’t exactly grow on trees. The version of Towns seen during the NBA Finals, as the source put it, “isn’t even from this planet.”
For all the front office’s obsession with control and clean books, the bigger issue now is keeping the title window open. Without Towns, the Knicks’ championship odds take a major hit.
So if he doesn’t sign an extension, the Knicks are still expected to keep him. It might become a season-long talking point.
It might annoy everybody in the process. None of that changes the bottom line: this time, the Knicks may not have the luxury of following their usual script.
In Other News...
Knicks Could Face A Costly 2027 Decision Around Karl-Anthony Towns
The 2027 free-agent picture already looks like it could get crowded in a hurry, with a number of marquee names potentially lining up for the market if contracts and player-option decisions break a certain way. For the Knicks, that looming class matters because it adds another layer to every long-term roster conversation, especially with the salary cap set to keep squeezing contenders and make every major commitment carry extra weight.
Karl-Anthony Towns sits right at the center of that math, and the Knicks will have to think carefully about how they map out the next two seasons around him. His future is part of a much bigger leaguewide picture, one that could be shaped by extension talks, opt-out decisions and how teams view their chances of keeping a title core intact without running into harsh financial penalties. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Are Losing Two More Pieces Of Their Championship Core
The Knicks are seeing another bit of turnover from the group that helped fuel their recent title run, with free agent center Trey Jemison now landing a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors after spending last season in New York. For a team that just reached the top of the league, these are the kinds of small but notable departures that can add up, especially when they involve a player who gave the roster front-court depth and a front-office voice tied to the clubs rise.
Gersson Rosas is also leaving, with the vice president of basketball operations announcing his departure from the organization. Rosas was part of the front office that helped build the championship-winning roster, so his exit removes another familiar piece from the machinery that got the Knicks to this point, even if the bigger core remains in place. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Get An Early Test Against A Raptors Threat Fans Cant Ignore
The East keeps shifting around New York, and one of the more intriguing ripple effects could come from Toronto. With the 76ers, Heat and Pacers all reshaping themselves in a big way, the Raptors are the club Knicks fans may want to watch most closely if their own offseason picture is going to get clearer. A potential move for Kawhi Leonard would instantly change the way that matchup looks, especially with the Knicks trying to measure themselves against the top of the conference.
They will not have to wait long to get a read on it. New York is set to see Toronto twice in the preseason, which should offer an early look at how the two teams stack up before the games start counting. If the Raptors do end up making that kind of splash, those October meetings could feel less like tune-ups and more like a first glimpse at a rival the Knicks may be chasing all season. [Read more 🡒]