New York's payroll sits at $227.7 million, above the luxury line, while the front office paused talks on extending its starting center. Towns averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds on a team that posted a plus-6.4 net rating last season, which makes the stall harder to justify the longer it drags.
The Wrong Fight
Towns anchored the roster that won New York's first title in 53 years, and the front office stopped talking about extending him on October 9. Josh Hart reacted publicly the next day, though no detail on what he said or what happens next has come out. Hoops Rumors reported Towns was "very disappointed" by the pause. None of that squares with a team that is supposed to be running it back.
The Case To Walk
New York already carries $227.7 million in salary, above the $200.4 million tax line and the league's second apron. Towns alone is owed $57.1 million this season, the single biggest number on the books, ahead of Brunson, Anunoby and Bridges. Brooklyn owns New York's first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, with a swap coming in 2028, so there is almost no draft capital left to patch this roster if it breaks. Paying Towns more locks the second apron in place for years, cutting off the trade tools a team needs to fix itself in-season.
The Case To Pay
Towns played 75 games last season, averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for an offense that ranked third in the league and a defense that ranked seventh, numbers that trace straight to a net rating of plus-6.4, fifth-best in the NBA. Behind him on the depth chart are Andre Drummond, 33 years old, and James Wiseman, 25 and still unproven as a starter. Neither one replaces that production.
Pay The Man
Letting the pause drag doesn't lower Towns' price, it just raises the odds the Knicks get nothing back for him when he walks for cap room instead. The second apron already costs New York its trade flexibility whether Towns signs or not, so the savings from skipping his extension are smaller than they look. Finish the deal. A team that broke a 53-year title drought with Towns at center should not let a front office's math be the reason it breaks apart.
Will the Knicks re-sign Towns?
New York paused talks on Towns' extension on October 9, and nothing new has been reported since. The front office hasn't closed the door, but every day without a deal raises the price of getting one done.
Why does Towns' contract matter to the Knicks' cap situation?
Towns is owed $57.1 million this season, the largest single salary on a roster that already sits above the $200.4 million luxury tax line and the league's second apron. An extension would lock that number in for years, at a time New York has already sent its 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to Brooklyn.
More from The Garden Line
all Knicks news →
Morning · Sat, Oct 17Knicks Clear Out The Center Mess, Drummond Steps Up
Around the beat · Fri, Oct 16Media Digs Into Towns' Price While Knicks Thin The Roster
The big question · Wed, Oct 14Knicks Can't Keep Dodging The Towns Question
The big question · Wed, Oct 7Knicks Face A Bill They Can't Pay Twice
The big question · Sun, Oct 4The Bill Comes Due For New York's Champions
The big question · Thu, Oct 1Knicks Bet Everything On One More Run