Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart & One More Knicks Star's Future Hangs in Balance as Insider Provides Grim Update

Things are looking a bit concerning for the New York Knicks heading into the 2026-27 season. While the Knicks will be entering the upcoming season as the defending NBA champions, their status at the top doesn't seem to be all rainbows and sunshine. This is mainly due to key Knicks players whose contracts are almost up.

According to NBA insider Ian Begley, New York is unlikely to offer new deals to core players Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride. This comes as a huge shocker considering how important their roles were in the 2026 NBA Finals.

"It appears unlikely the New York Knicks will agree to deals with Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride before the regular season," per Begley.

Apparently, this is due to the current financial standoff between Towns and the Knicks. KAT is eligible for a four-year max extension worth $276 million. However, New York would much rather pay him $200 million, asking him to take a $76 million pay cut. Unfortunately for the team, Towns believes their request is blasphemous.

With that in mind, Towns' salary issues have set off a domino effect among Knicks players who are also eligible for extensions. One of those major players is Hart. Begley also reported that Hart's contract will depend entirely on how much they would've offered Towns. The initial priority was to get KAT to sign before making any offers to other extension-eligible players.

With that said, it's also the same for McBride. If Towns hypothetically agreed to a deal with the Knicks, the team's next priority would be Hart. But given that neither Towns nor Hart has been offered an extension yet, the same unfortunately goes for McBride.

Given the current circumstances, we're not entirely sure how things will transpire for the three core members.

After the 2026-27 season, Towns still has a player option for the 2027-28 season; however, we don't know whether he'll opt in or test free agency. Meanwhile, Hart has a team option for the 2027-28 season. As for McBride, if the Knicks don't make him an offer within the upcoming season, he's expected to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.

NBA Veteran Blames Knicks For Expecting Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart to Follow in Jalen Brunson's Footsteps

Before the 2025-26 season commenced, Jalen Brunson notably passed on a maximum five-year deal worth $269 million. Brunson instead took a $113 million pay cut to give the New York Knicks some financial room to form a championship-contending team. The result? The Knicks are the 2026 NBA Champions.

Because of Brunson's noble act, Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green believes the Knicks are now expecting other extension-eligible players to do the same. Unfortunately for New York, not everyone thinks like Brunson.

"I'd be surprised if the Knicks brought (Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart) back," Green said on his podcast. "Because it's a reason they have not gotten extensions done. The Knicks are trying to make all of this stuff work within that second apron."

"While knowing, yes, we have to pay Karl-Anthony Towns, but shortly thereafter, Jalen Brunson, who took this huge discount, is going to be asking for the full boat, and if not the full boat, most of the boat... And guess what? You're the Knicks; you have to do it."

While NBA insider Ian Begley reported that the Knicks are now unlikely to offer KAT or Hart new contracts, that remains to be seen. It'll all depend on how the team performs in the upcoming season. As the season progresses, there could be compelling reasons for Towns or Hart to have a change of heart and make financial adjustments to their contracts.