The New York Knicks will report to training camp in just a little bit more than three weeks, and they will do so as NBA defending champions for the first time since 1973. No matter how things play out in the coming weeks and months, that fact is not going to change, and thus, it’s difficult to put any kind of damper on this season, at least at the outset. But there are remaining issues, the biggest of which is a contract extension for Karl-Anthony Towns, which has yet to materialize as yet.
Towns is up for a deal worth as much as $272 million over four years, a contract that, if the Knicks give it to him, would make the core of the team difficult to keep together under the second apron. The hope in New York is that Towns is willing to accept a haircut off of the max and put the Knicks in a better financial position going forward.
There have been some predictions that Towns will take significantly less than the max. But nothing has moved forward yet, and the longer the issue lingers, the more it could leak into the season. Again–defending champs, nothing can go wrong. But Towns could be the first crack in the armor.
Knicks Changed Big Man’s Role
On the floor, there is something that Towns could do that might make the Knicks a better team in 2026-27. He and the Knicks finally figured out his best role for the team as the playoffs moved forward last year, as Towns was used as the hub of the offense in a way that took pressure off Jalen Brunson and saw Towns’ scoring drop from 20.1 points int he regular season to 15.9 points in the playoffs, while his assists spiked to 4.9 from 3.0.
But for New York Post beat writer Stefan Bondy, one key for Towns in the coming season: He needs to stop complaining. Yes, every NBA team seems to have one guy who spends entirely too much time barking at the refs, often to the detriment of the team, and for the Knicks, that guy is Towns.
Karl-Anthony Towns: Too Much ‘Complaining’
Here’s what Bondy, who looked at potential “goals” for all Knicks players next season, had to say about Towns and his penchant for fine whine:
“Goal: Stop complaining to refs. The easy goal for Towns would be to continue his playoff defense or enhance his role as playmaker from the elbow. But the most controllable improvement is redirecting his energy from pleading for fouls. It’s not a productive exercise for Towns, whose offensive fouls — particularly the arm hooks — often hold up on the video review. At his best, Towns is neither falling to the court after a drive nor yelling for a whistle.”
It is, all things considered, a fair criticism of Towns. He was, indeed, the engine of the Knicks’ playoff success, but voer the course of 82 games, he could stand to lay off the refs a bit.
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