One question defines this season: does New York commit long term to Towns? The numbers say yes, even with a $220.4M payroll and two firsts owed to Brooklyn.
The Question
The Knicks paused extension talks with Towns, and on October 11 he was described as very disappointed. No decision has been reported since. On October 20 the New York Post reported that Towns explained why he would take a pay cut to stay. The champions are 0-1, and every week the pause holds, the question gets louder.
Case Against
Towns carries the biggest contract on the books at $57.1M. Payroll sits at $220.4M, a full $20M over the $200.4M tax line. The front office already trimmed hard: Eubanks, Bradley and Agbaji waived, Bruce Brown placed on waivers. The 2027 and 2029 firsts belong to Brooklyn, so there is little left to rebuild with. He is 30. And in the opener he turned it over four times and went 4 of 7 at the line.
Case For
Last season he gave a 53-29 champion 20.1 points and 11.9 boards across 75 games and hit 36.8 percent of his threes. That team posted a plus-6.4 net rating. Tuesday he went 6 of 9, 3 of 4 from deep, grabbed 12 rebounds and scored 10 of New York's 24 points in the fourth. Behind him are Drummond at 33 and Wiseman at 25. Neither one replaces that.
Wrong Target
Look at who sank the 106-100 loss. Brunson shot 6 of 19. Anunoby went 3 of 12, 1 of 9 from beyond the arc, and finished minus-20. Philadelphia closed the third on an 11-0 run and never gave the lead back. Towns finished even in 24 minutes and was the most efficient starter on the floor. He was not the reason the Knicks lost. Mike Brown gave Drummond the same 24 minutes, and that is a rotation question to answer before Boston on October 23.
Bottom Line
Extend him. The cap pain is real, and the front office has every right to push on price, especially after the Post's report on a possible pay cut. But letting a 20-and-12 big who spaces the floor drift toward the exit, with two firsts already shipped to Brooklyn, is how a title team turns into a one-year story. Finish the deal.
Is Karl-Anthony Towns getting a contract extension from the Knicks?
Not yet. The Knicks paused talks, Towns was described as very disappointed on October 11, and no decision has been reported since.
How did Karl-Anthony Towns play in the Knicks' season opener?
He had 19 points and 12 rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes, including 10 points in the fourth quarter, in a 106-100 loss to Philadelphia.
