BOSTON – Despite no comment on a contract extension, Karl-Anthony Towns said his relationship with the Knicks front office remains strong and he expects to continue his career with the team.
“Yeah, yeah, I want to be here,” Towns said. “Obviously getting a chance to come home, see my family. It means more than money, you know.
“So just being able to be here with the fans, be able to be with the family. It means a lot. I would like that to continue.”
Towns and the Knicks failed to reach an agreement during the extension window before the October 20 deadline, when he was eligible for two years and $150 million associated with his current deal.
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, he will be eligible for an extension again after the 2026 NBA Finals.
“Me, (team president Leon Rose) and (senior vice president of b-ball operations Gerson Rosas) and everybody, we’re great,” Towns said. “I’ll go have lunch with them right now. We’re good.”
Heading into this season, the 30-year-old Towns has at least two years and approximately $110 million remaining on his contract. In other words, he can’t become a free agent until at least 2027. He also has a $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season, so there’s a good chance he won’t be on the market until 2028.
With so much time remaining on Towns’ contract, there was no rush on the Knicks’ part to make a deal before this season.
But after the final the conversation will become even more important.
Towns entered Tuesday’s game against the Celtics averaging 21.7 points and 11.9 rebounds on 44.9 percent shooting. This is a career low in terms of efficiency as Towns adjusts to Mike Brown’s system, producing better results when playing center rather than power forward.
“It’s a different place in our system where I’m at. Completely different system. So when I’m 5 years old or I’m 4 years old, it’s a completely different script for me in the game,” Towns said. “Trying to impact wins as much as possible and I’m glad I’ve been able to do that so far this year.”
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