Karl-Anthony Towns just helped the Knicks end a 53-year championship drought. He delivered a speech at the ESPYs after New York took home Best Team. He brought a defensive presence against Victor Wembanyama in the Finals that made everyone reconsider how they think about his game.
And now the Knicks have to decide if they want to pay him $272 million to stick around.
Towns is eligible for a four-year max extension this summer. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III laid it out pretty bluntly. The Knicks almost certainly will offer him something. The question is whether it’ll be the full max.
“My educated guess is that New York will offer Towns an extension. The question is: will the Knicks offer him the max deal that they can offer him: four years, $272 million? That’s where I pause slightly,” Edwards III said.
Towns came to New York in a blockbuster trade from the Timberwolves before the 2024-25 season. Two years later, the Knicks made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in a quarter century. Then they won the whole thing. He’s done his part, no question.
The age problem nobody wants to talk about
Here’s the complication. Towns turns 31 next season. A four-year extension would carry him past 34. History says All-Star centers don’t age like guards or wings. They break down. They lose a step. They become expensive problems.
“The reason I pause is that Towns is 30 years old and big men don’t tend to age well,” Edwards III added. “An extension would carry him past his prime. The Knicks under Leon Rose have shown a willingness to be flexible. Jalen Brunson will surely get an extension when the time comes. OG Anunoby still has three years left on his deal. Mikal Bridges starts his four-year contract this season. Josh Hart will be extension-eligible later this summer.”
That’s a lot of money tied up in a core that’s already delivered a title. But at some point, contracts start bumping into each other.
“At some point, it feels like something has to give. Would New York really have this core locked in for another three or four years? That seems unlikely,” Edwards III said.
So where does that leave Towns? He’s the oldest of the bunch, the one whose position historically ages worst, and the one who might be asked to take less than the max.
“There’s a world where Towns is the odd man out unless he takes significantly less than the max extension,” Edwards said. “However, if you’re Towns and have helped bring success to the Knicks and are soon to be on the other side of 30, why do that?”
Edwards III admitted he can’t really predict what the final number looks like. But he’d be surprised if it’s the full max.
Towns himself seems pretty content. He spoke at the ESPYs about what the championship meant.
“The love of New York made this whole journey and this whole accomplishment of winning a championship worth it,” Towns said.
Jalen Brunson took home Finals MVP. OG Anunoby had that unforgettable game-winning put-back. Role players made plays. But Towns was the anchor against Wembanyama, and that alone changes how the front office has to think about his value.
The Knicks have a decision to make this summer. And there’s no obvious right answer.
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