Why the Knicks need to extend Karl-Anthony Towns

The Knicks finally broke a 53-year drought that haunted generations of their city with one of the most dominant runs in recent playoff history this past June. At the center of that cathartic, magical few months was Karl-Anthony Towns. 

When Leon Rose swung the blockbuster trade to bring KAT in, skeptics questioned whether he could withstand the crucible of the New York expectations and the defensive requirements of a championship run. The 2025-26 season proved them wrong, as Towns put on a two-way show for 16 wins, making history. 

Yet in the modern NBA, celebrations immediately yield to balance sheets, as the Knicks experienced first hand this summer when they lost Mitchell Robinson to their rival Celtics. They now face three open extensions in Miles McBride, Josh Hart, and Towns, with Jalen Brunson‘s overdue raise and the second apron restrictions looming.

ESPN reported a stall in Town’s extension talks, perhaps signaling a gap in valuation, but this isn’t the time for the front office to be pinching pennies — there’s no championship without Towns, and there’s no contending in the years to come without him either. 

The meltdown in the 2025 East Conference Finals made fans forget, but Towns has been championship caliber since his arrival. He was an All-Star and All-NBA Third Team member in his first year with the Knicks, averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from two and 42 percent from three, despite a late arrival to training camp.

That playoffs, he put up 21-and-12, bailing the Knicks out with clutch shooting in the first round against the Pistons, and displaying defensive versatility against the Celtics in round two.  After New York replaced head coach Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown, it took Towns some time to adjust to a new offensive scheme.

He still finished the 2026 regular season with an efficient 20 points and 12 rebounds a game, but his year really took off after the Knicks fell down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. In Game 4, Brown finally found the right formula for Towns as an offensive hub, which contributed mightily to their ensuing 14-1 march to the chip.  

Not only was Towns one of the best shooting bigs in the league, he became a primary facilitator and reliable defender, finishing the playoffs with 15.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 59.2 percent from two and 45.6 percent from three. He outperformed Joel Embiid, Jarrett Allen, and Victor Wembanyama on this path, cementing his place among the best centers in the game.

This run has quickly dispelled the tropes that have surrounded Towns for years. In fact, pundits from ESPN’s NBA Rank and HoopsHype.com, among others, now categorically rank him as the third-best center in the league behind Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic. 

That level of player, already in full sync with your lead star and your surrounding weapons, is not easily replaceable. Towns and Brunson formed a formidable cohesion, in large part thanks to KAT’s ability to space, pass, drive, finish and adapt to what the coaching staff asked of him.

Look around the league for somebody else that can fit that bill and you’ll be disappointed. Elite centers don’t grow on trees and teams are paying out hand over first for eligible fives.

New York lost Robinson because of his price tag, the Lakers committed multiple picks and major salary to Walker Kessler who played five games last season and Isaiah Hartenstein re-upped for another near-$30 million annual deal. That the Knicks would risk losing this rare blend of talent and chemistry, the one that brought them the championship that eluded them for decades, over a financial reality they can avoid is confounding. 

There are other means of avoiding the second apron if push came to shove. Once Brunson gets his max extension, if Towns is re-signed at $55 million annually, they’ll still have over 30 percent of the cap to fill out the roster and other large salaries to move that aren’t as central to the team as Towns. 

Championship windows have not been common for the Knicks, so prematurely closing one that finally appears would be sending fans back to the dark ages after they enjoyed the briefest glimmer of sunshine. Finding that alignment of talent, timing and health is so rare, your only choice is to maximize how many years you can hold that together. 

Towns came to New York, answered every critique, adapted his game, locked in defensively, and helped deliver a Larry O’Brien trophy to Madison Square Garden. Leaving him open to a potential departure instead of giving him years to fight for more would cost the franchise more in opportunity than they’d ever earn in apron savings.