“Can’t Afford”: Mike Brown Sets Tone for Knicks’ New Season Following Karl-Anthony Towns Update

Karl-Anthony Towns gave his take on the Knicks' offensive identity under a new coach with a shrug: "Honestly, I don't know, but we're figuring it out." Twelve months and a championship later, the uncertainty is gone, and Mike Brown opened the new season by making sure nobody in the building gets comfortable with that.

Brown's opening statement at Knicks media day was a direct warning against complacency. "Regardless of what we accomplished, moving forward, our standard and how we approach our process is going to be really critical for us," he said. "We can't afford to have any slippage in our process."

The message came with a clear update on how New York plans to use Towns. Brown said the Knicks will keep running offense through the big man at the elbow, with actions intentionally built around him just as they were during the playoffs.

He added that the approach will continue to evolve as the season goes on. Suggesting the version fans saw in June is a starting point.

Towns' role became a season-long talking point, and it only came into focus in the second half of the year, when Brown's staff leaned into using him as a passer and decision-maker.

The payoff arrived in the postseason, where Towns reportedly averaged 6.6 assists per game after the first two rounds, following a shift where coach Mike Brown used him as an elbow passing hub.

Brown's emphasis on process makes sense given how the title run actually unfolded. The offense that won it all barely existed in December, and the path there included rough patches, including a January loss to the Kings after which Brown publicly criticized Towns' urgency and effort.

Brown's point at media day is that success came from refining details day after day, not from talent alone.

Towns commented on a New York Times interview podcast about his working relationship with head coach Mike Brown. He revealed that he’d asked Brown at times during the regular season to run more of the offense through him, and expressed some disappointment that request wasn’t honored as much as he wanted.

Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth roughly $272 million. A deal that would pay him $68 million annually and push toward $75 million by his age-34 season in 2030-31. He’s already owed about $57 million this year, with a $61 million player option for 2027-28 still in play if no extension gets done.

Giving Towns anywhere near his full max value would push New York deep into luxury-tax territory. Toward the second apron’s roster-building restrictions, at exactly the moment the Knicks need financial flexibility to keep Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges together around him.