Contract negotiations have reportedly “stagnated” between Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks.
Fresh off a championship season in the Big Apple, Towns is eligible for a contract extension of up to four years and $276 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Knicks owner James Dolan has repeatedly said he wanted to keep the Knicks out of the punitive second apron.
With Towns due $57 million this season and a $61 million player option for 2027-28, the Knicks could explore trading the six-time All-Star and free up more cap space.
Should they begin shopping KAT, former All-Star Jeff Teague tabbed the Houston Rockets as a logical trade partner.
“I’d trade him for [Alperen] Sengun,” Teague said on Thursday’s episode of Club 520. “The Knicks probably won’t do that though.”
Teague added that a trade to Houston could also benefit Towns financially, since Texas does not impose state income taxes.
“When I start thinking about the property taxes, [he may] wanna go to Dallas or Houston. Or anywhere in Florida.”
Will the Knicks Extend Karl-Anthony Towns?
Whether the Knicks extend him or not, Towns has certainly earned an additional payday.
Towns, an All-Star in each of his two Knicks seasons, averaged 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 55% shooting through last season’s playoffs, helping the team snap a 53-year championship drought.
The former No. 1 pick also played stellar defense against Victor Wembanyama, a feat few players have accomplished.
Even after the franchise’s first championship season this millennium, Knicks owner James Dolan remains adamant that he wants to avoid the second apron.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently slammed the “awful” owner for valuing profits over winning.
“James Dolan, for the most part, has been awful as an owner,” Smith said on “First Take” on Thursday.
The ESPN personality then explained why he believes things have been different since Leon Rose took control of the Knicks’ basketball operations.
“That is no longer the case since Leon Rose has arrived. He [Dolan] has stayed out of the way, and he has let the Knicks do their thing,” Smith said. “And as a result, they finally captured a championship.”
Smith fears that the power could sway back to Dolan now that the Knicks have won a championship.
“I’m very, very concerned about that because the New York Knicks, having won the championship, certainly buys players a cachet,” Smith said. “I’m hoping people don’t let it buy the owner any kind of cachet to the point where he gets to go back to his good old ways or his bad old ways and making decisions that he doesn’t need to make.”
The sports media personality added that losing KAT would be a colossal loss for the Knicks.
“Karl-Anthony Towns is incredibly important,” Smith said. “You don’t want to lose him.”
Since arriving in New York, Towns averages 22.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He is tied with Nikola Jokic for the most double-doubles (114) since 2024.
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