New York Knicks star forward Karl-Anthony Towns isn’t the most overrated player in the NBA.
But, he is one of the most overrated players in the league, according to his peers.
Karl-Anthony Towns Voted One of the NBA’s Most Overrated Players by His Peers
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 04: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks walks off the court after an injury during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden on February 04, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Pamela Smith/Getty Images)
In the 2026 iteration of The Athletic’s Anonymous NBA Player Poll, Towns was voted by his peers as one of the NBA’s most overrated players.
81 total NBA players voted on this specific poll, and Towns received 7.4% of the vote, which was the fourth-most of any player. Houston Rockets star Alperen Şengün was voted as the most overrated player in the league with 12.3% of the vote, followed by Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (both got 8.6% of the vote).
Here’s a bit of background on the poll provided by The Athletic:
From late February to early April, our writers fanned out across North America, asking players a wide array of questions, ranging from individual awards to player movement to league issues. Our writers surveyed 161 players, a record high for this project, which is approximately one-third of the league’s workforce. … As always, we granted the players anonymity to give them the freedom to answer honestly, without fear of reprisals from opponents, teammates or fans.
Towns has been a polarizing player throughout his career, but he’s also been a productive player. During the regular season, Towns played in 75 games for the Knicks and posted averages of 20.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per performance.
Karl-Anthony Towns Faces an Uncertain Future in New York
While Towns may be viewed as overrated by some of his peers, he also could be facing an uncertain future with the Knicks. He still has two years remaining on his current contract with New York, including a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 NBA season.
However, a recent report from Vincent Goodwill of ESPN suggested that the Knicks could potentially look to move on from Towns over the offseason if they fall short of expectations in the playoffs.
“Executives around the league believe Towns would be the key to the Knicks chances to topple the conference favorites. If they can’t, many front office members around the league also believe New York will survey the market for Towns trades this summer,” Goodwill wrote. “… There has always been smoke around Towns and his future with the Knicks. And this summer, expect it to billow.”
Things have been going pretty well for both Towns and the Knicks in the postseason so far as they were able to advance past the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and jump out to an early lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals. They’ll have to keep it up in order to ensure Towns’ future with the franchise.
New York Knicks Star Voted One of the Most Overrated Players in NBA by Peers