New York is still soaking in its first title in 53 years, and already the front office has a headache to deal with.
Karl-Anthony Towns is now at the center of a money fight nobody saw coming so soon.
Training camp opens in a matter of days. Instead of pure celebration, the Knicks are stuck weighing a $61 million decision that could shape this roster for years.
Will KAT’s Contract Push Knicks Into Second Apron
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst broke the situation down on NBA Today. Towns holds a player option worth roughly $61 million for the 2027-28 season, and if he exercises it, New York lands squarely in the second apron, the tax bracket the front office has said it wants no part of.
Windhorst framed that option as leverage more than a threat. “So what they are gonna ultimately need him to do is not take that option and reduce that, and that is the basis for this conversation. That is the basis for all of it,” he said.
Windhorst also said: “He wants to be in New York. He wants the team to stay together. But if Jim Dolan sets an ironclad spot and forces Karl to the market, he will have max offers. He can get that kind of money next summer if he wants to.” And if any other teams come into the picture, it will be difficult for New York to match those offers.
That framing lines up with what Shams Charania had already reported, that talks stalled after Towns turned down New York’s opening offer. Sources have the team’s ask sitting somewhere in the $45 to $50 million range annually, well below the roughly $272 million four-year max Towns could command elsewhere.
Despite the stall, Windhorst does not sound worried about the relationship falling apart. He pointed to Towns’ agency, CAA, and how closely tied that group already is to the Knicks organization.
“Now, even though there may be a hard feeling or two between the front office and Karl in the coming months about this, ultimately I think this is gonna get done because Karl is represented by CAA, and CAA and the Knicks are like this,” Windhorst said. “Leon Rose used to be his agent. They represent Jalen Brunson. They represent a bunch of other players on the team. They’ll get a deal done.”
He did attach one condition to that confidence. If ownership steps in and overrides the process, all bets are off.
Why Karl-Anthony Towns Still Feels Like a Knick
Whatever the numbers say, Towns has made his priorities clear. He is reportedly open to leaving real money on the table just to stay put.
“He’s open to not taking $276 million. He wants to be in New York. He wants the team to stay together,” Windhorst said.
The obstacle is not Towns, it traces back to owner James Dolan, who has been firm about avoiding the second apron no matter what. If he holds the line and Towns gets pushed toward the open market, plenty of teams would hand him a full max deal.
Dolan’s hard stance could still soften depending on how this season goes. A repeat run might be the thing that changes his mind about the apron entirely.
Windhorst wrapped his comments with a mix of caution and belief, admitting there could be some early wavering once camp actually starts, but landing on a genuinely optimistic note about where this ends up.
Camp opens in days, and the title defense follows soon after. Towns and the Knicks have months to find common ground before his option decision arrives, and how that plays out will say a lot about what this era of Knicks basketball becomes.
Knicks Face Growing Possibility of Losing Karl-Anthony Towns Amid Contract Talks