Knicks shut down Karl-Anthony Towns contract talks before season

The Knicks have paused all contract extension negotiations – including their increasingly spicy back-and-forth with Karl-Anthony Towns.

Four days after Towns expressed frustration with what he intimated was an insulting offer, the Knicks released a statement Friday morning that attempted to temporarily put the kibosh on both negotiations and distractions.

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It was further evidence that the sides weren’t close to an agreement before the regular-season opener Oct. 20.

New York Knicks center Karl Anthony-Towns is seen during speed shooting drills during practice at media day during the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, Tuesday, June 2, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST

“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of,” a Knicks spokesperson said. “As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.”

Josh Hart and Miles McBride, in addition to Towns, are currently eligible for extensions. They can negotiate until June but agreements are often settled before the season to avoid distractions.

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Instead, the Knicks sent out a message that they are done talking – for now – as they navigate owner James Dolan’s mandate to stay under the second apron.

As The Post reported, the Knicks offered Towns four years and about $200 million, which is $77 million less than his max. He was willing to take a discount but not as drastic as New York’s proposal.

If Towns left the Knicks in free agency, the max he could make is $265 million over four years.

“Simply put: I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also (a contract that) values me,” Towns said Monday. “And none of those things are close to happening.”

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Asked if he expected to be rewarded after breaking the franchise’s 53-year title drought, Towns responded, “No s- -t, Sherlock. I just won a championship. You’d think it was pretty easy. Unless you guys (the reporters) think I have…

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Publish date : 2026-10-09 13:35:00

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