Knicks to Face Dire Situation With Karl-Anthony Towns if He Doesn’t Follow Jalen Brunson’s Example

Back in 2024, Jalen Brunson made one of the most important financial decisions in recent NBA history. He signed a below-market extension that left more than $100 million on the table relative to his true max value. That sacrifice gave New York the flexibility to build the roster around him that delivered the franchise’s first championship in 53 years, and it’s now become the exact standard the Knicks are hoping their other star, Karl-Anthony Towns, can live up to.

Discussing Karl-Anthony Towns’ looming extension on The Athletic NBA Daily, Sam Amick admitted the situation remains genuinely uncertain.

“Admittedly, I don’t have a great beat on that one,” Amick said. “Tricky dynamics so far, and this could always change. I give both sides credit for keeping the headlines to a minimum.”

“Because of Jalen Brunson’s choice to give back so much money — or leave so much on the table — when he did, it just put pressure on guys like KAT, and really around the NBA, to do a similar type thing," he added. "And KAT’s max number is just so massive that it could devastate the Knicks’ books. And that is what they’re faced with.”

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.

One recent prediction floated Towns settling for a four-year, $180 million deal instead. A full $92 million below his max eligibility, which would represent a Brunson-style sacrifice large enough to keep the core roster financially sustainable.

Why This Extension Is More Complicated Than Brunson’s Was

Brunson signed his below-market deal entering his age-28 season, well within his prime. Towns turns 31 in November, meaning any max-length extension would carry him through his age-36 season. A stretch where even durable, skilled big men typically show real decline.

That timing gives the Knicks legitimate reason for caution beyond just the amount. It also complicates any straightforward comparison to what Brunson gave up.

Towns’ comments on a New York Times interview podcast about his working relationship with head coach Mike Brown add a different layer. Towns 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.

The approach changed starting in the Atlanta series during the championship run. Towns and others have since credited it as a real factor in the title. That underlying tension, even resolved successfully by the playoffs, is the kind of detail that could complicate an extension negotiation if trust between Towns and the coaching staff isn’t fully settled heading into a new season.

League insider Ian Begley predicted the two sides will ultimately reach an agreement. He cited Towns’ clear affection for New York as reason for optimism.

The Knicks’ ability to keep their championship core intact may come down to whether Towns is willing to make the same financial trade-off that got them here in the first place.