Knicks Make “Unreasonable” Demands of Karl-Anthony Towns as Extension Remains on Hold, Per ESPN Reporter

Last October, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks let a two-year, $150 million extension deadline pass without a deal. Weeks later, Towns publicly insisted he still wanted to build his future in New York. Nearly a year later, that commitment is being tested by the actual terms on the table.

According to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Towns is willing to take a pay cut similar to the one Jalen Brunson accepted last year. But the number the Knicks are asking for has him pushing back. Speaking on NBA Today, Andrews laid out exactly where negotiations currently stand.

"From what I have been told, he is willing, similarly to what Jalen Brunson did. Numbers aren't the same, but he is also willing to take a pay cut," Andrews said. "But the pay cut that the Knicks are asking him to take, he views as unreasonable."

The comparison to Brunson is notable given how much credit he's received for helping the Knicks build a championship roster. Brunson reportedly left significant money on the table in his own extension last summer, a decision widely credited with giving New York's front office the financial flexibility to build out the roster that won this year's title.

Towns, according to Andrews, is open to a similar sacrifice. Just not one on the scale the Knicks are currently proposing.

Part of the tension traces back to just how much Towns is already owed. He's currently under contract for three more seasons at $53.1 million, $57.1 million and $61 million, salary figures set before Brunson's below-market deal reshaped the roster's cap calculations around him.

With Mikal Bridges, Brunson and a deep supporting cast all needing to be paid, the Knicks appear to be pushing for meaningful long-term savings on Towns' next deal. A bigger ask than the modest discount Brunson himself accepted.

Why the Karl-Anthony Towns Extension Has Dragged On for Nearly a Year

This isn't a new negotiation, either. Towns and the Knicks first let an October 2025 deadline pass on a two-year, $150 million extension without reaching an agreement, the max amount available given the size of his existing contract.

Towns addressed the situation publicly shortly after. He made it clear that he wanted to remain in New York long-term even without a new deal in place at the time.

At the time, most expectations pointed toward the two sides revisiting talks once the season, and the Knicks' championship run, had played out. All under the impression that a strong postseason would make a deal easier to finalize.

That's roughly the point the talks are at now. But Andrews' report made it clear that a real gap in expectations still exists, with Towns willing to compromise on paper but unwilling to accept the specific number the Knicks have proposed.

With Towns already on record saying he wants to stay, the pressure now sits mostly with the Knicks to close the gap between what they're offering and what Towns considers fair.