Karl-Anthony Towns Extension: Why the Knicks Won't Offer a Max
Towns is on a $57M salary with a $61M player option for 2027-28. A Gobert-style extension starting near $45M looks like the middle ground.
Elite center production isn't going anywhere regardless of the contract outcome.
- Towns: $57M salary in 2025-26, $61M option for 2027-28
- Possible extension starts near $45M (Gobert baseline)
- Towns ranks #28 overall, #5 at center on our model
- Deals signed Aug 12+ likely untradeable at 2027 deadline
- Knicks have 13 players under contract, need a 3rd center
The Knicks are heading into a title-defense season with unfinished business, and the biggest name on the docket is Karl-Anthony Towns. He's eligible for a veteran extension, but the expectation around New York is that the front office won't put a max offer on the table. Towns carries a $57 million salary this season with a $61 million player option for 2027-28, so any extension is a bet against his 2027 free-agency upside.
The likeliest landing spot? Something modeled on the recent Rudy Gobert extension, which would start around $45 million. That's a discount from what Towns could theoretically chase on the open market, but the math and the context both nudge toward a deal getting done. He won a championship with his hometown team, the NBA's second-apron economics are squeezing everyone, and Jalen Brunson already set the precedent for taking less to keep the roster whole.
Why Both Sides Blink
This isn't a standoff so much as a negotiation with a clear middle. Towns loves New York and has little incentive to walk. On the flip side, losing him would force the Knicks into a painful pivot to find a front-line center — there's no easy replacement sitting on the market. There's also a timing wrinkle: any extension signed on or after August 12 would likely render the player untradeable at the 2027 deadline, so the calendar matters here.
Towns isn't the only extension conversation. Josh Hart and Miles McBride are both eligible too. Hart could be asked to take less for roster flexibility, while McBride, on one of the league's most team-friendly deals, has genuinely earned a raise. The problem is stacking all three extensions plus an eventual Brunson mega-deal while staying under the second apron — owner James Dolan said before free agency he won't cross it next season. Something has to give.
The Fantasy Angle
None of this changes what Towns is on the court, and that's the part your roster cares about. He posted 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3 assists across 75 games last season (2025-26), good for 40.6 fantasy points per game and a #28 overall, #5-at-center ranking in our model. His last-five-game form was slightly above his season average (+2 FPTS), so there's no red flag heading into the new year.
Contract noise is not a fantasy input — Towns' role, minutes and usage are locked in as a top-five center on a contender. Hart is the one to actually monitor: he's ranked #89 overall (#44 at guard) after a 30.4 FPTS/G season, and his last five games trended down (-9.7 vs average). Draft Towns with total confidence and keep Hart as a mid-round rebound-and-assist play, but watch his role if the roster math forces a shakeup.
