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The New York Knicks have been able to extend Karl-Anthony Towns since the NBA Finals ended, and the decision could be the start of breaking up the championship roster. The Celtics and Thunder both have made significant cost-saving measures since winning the title. New York will soon be next. KAT is on a max contract and became a crucial piece of the title roster. The Knicks would love to get him on a discount, but Towns has earned every dollar he’s available to get.
New York has built this roster because Jalen Brunson took significantly less. ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill doesn’t see that happening again. If Brunson gets a significant raise in the 2028-29 season, the Knicks may be forced to completely revamp the roster around him.
Those decisions start now. The Knicks have made it clear that they aren’t going over the second tax apron. With that virtual hard-cap in place, New York can’t afford to pay $40-plus million a year to four players. The Knicks just won the championship. Their best players have no reason to take discounts, which will ultimately lead to their breakup.
KAT’s extension call could be the start of the Knicks' dismantling
The Athletic’s James Edwards outlined the decision perfectly (subscription required). New York doesn’t want to offer the max, given their spending concerns. Towns is 30 years old. This could be his last massive payday. He has no reason to take less after sacrificing to help the Knicks win a championship.
Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges are locked in for the next two years. They could give KAT a max extension and keep those four together. It would likely cost them Josh Hart and force New York to have several minimum contracts on the books.
They already lost Mitchell Robinson, and more difficult decisions are coming. The Knicks replaced him with Andre Drummond, and will need Towns to teach him a crucial lesson.
This is what happens in the second apron era. The Celtics lost Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet since winning the title in 2024. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White are the only two starters left on their roster. The 2025 champs just dumped Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe. More changes are coming as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets a $20 million raise in the 2027-28 season.
The Towns extension will be the first big domino for the Knicks. Even if he takes less, he isn’t accepting a $100 million discount over the length of the deal. New York will be constrained no matter how much he gets. The Knicks will have to dump a second member of their top six. The question is which one and how much it impacts their roster.
Miles McBride also needs a new contract for the 2027-28 season and may soon be out the door. The Knicks won’t have money to replace him, which means exploring the minimum market again.
The New York Knicks have a difficult extension decision to make on Karl-Anthony Towns. There is no winning. The second apron comes for every NBA team. It has already dismantled one champion and is just starting to crush a second. The Knicks will soon face that same fate, and it all starts with KAT. New York hasn’t made a decision yet, but it will cost them someone either way.
This is exactly why the NBA’s Players Association wants the second apron gone. Knicks fans hope it goes away, but it won’t be in time to save their roster. Changes are coming, and the Towns decision will determine who and how much New York has to trim from their roster.
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This article was originally published on dailyknicks.com as Karl-Anthony Towns extension decision may force Knicks to dismantle their roster.
