Hours after the New York Knicks made the unusual decision to publicly suspend contract extension negotiations, ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks revealed a development that raised fresh questions about the team’s handling of Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart.
According to Marks, the Knicks have already been presented with scenarios that would allow both players to sign long-term extensions without pushing New York above the NBA’s second luxury-tax apron next season.
The revelation came Friday on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” shortly after the defending champions announced they would postpone all extension discussions until later in the regular season.
It also raised an obvious question: If the financial framework exists to keep both players, why stop negotiating?
Bobby Marks Reveals Knicks Have Pathway to Extend Towns, Hart
Speaking with host Malika Andrews, Marks disclosed that New York’s front office had received potential solutions within the past month.
“Scenarios have been presented to the Knicks front office within the last month where both players would sign long-term extensions,” Marks said.
Those arrangements, he explained, would keep New York below the second apron for the 2027-28 season.
Marks added that both players were willing to accept contracts that would accommodate the team’s financial goals.
That is significant considering owner James Dolan’s declaration following the Knicks’ championship that the franchise would not cross the second apron.
Marks criticized Dolan’s public stance, arguing that it unnecessarily restricted the front office’s flexibility.
The Knicks have already felt the consequences, losing longtime center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics in free agency.
Earlier Friday, the Knicks issued a statement explaining their decision to suspend negotiations.
“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of,” a team spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The team added that it would not negotiate extensions until later in the season.
Andrews pressed Marks on the apparent contradiction between that announcement and his reporting.
His response introduced another intriguing possibility.
Did Karl-Anthony Towns’ Public Comments Upset James Dolan?
Marks suggested Towns’ public frustration earlier in the week may have contributed to the Knicks’ decision.
“I think that irked someone,” Marks said, before identifying Dolan as someone he believed may have been upset by the situation becoming public.
Marks presented that explanation as his interpretation, not a confirmed account of Dolan’s thinking.
Towns had expressed disappointment Monday about the lack of progress toward a new contract.
“I want to do something that can keep the team together and work with the Knicks and also values me,” Towns told reporters. “None of those things have come close to happening.”
According to Charania, New York’s latest offer was approximately $200 million over four years, well below the $276 million maximum extension available to Towns.
ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill questioned the optics of asking a championship contributor to accept a substantial discount.
Former NBA guard Danny Green suggested the dispute sounded like an ego-driven communication problem that could still be resolved.
There is also a longer-term financial complication.
Marks noted that Jalen Brunson’s next extension could increase his annual salary from approximately $43 million to $64 million beginning in 2028-29.
For now, however, Marks’ reporting suggests the Knicks have options.
Whether they are willing to revisit them before their title defense begins is another matter.
Front Office Insider Drops Bombshell in Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns Drama