Karl-Anthony Towns says Knicks’ freeze on extension talks caught him off guard

Karl-Anthony Towns said Sunday, October 11, that he did not know in advance that the New York Knicks would shelve contract extension talks until later in the season, calling himself “very disappointed, to say the least.”

His first public response to Friday’s announcement shows how far apart the two sides remain as the defending champions work through their preseason schedule. Towns’ remarks were relayed by James L. Edwards III of The Athletic and picked up by HoopsHype and Hoops Rumors.

“It was news to me,” Towns said of the club’s statement. He added that while contracts are business, there is also business on the court to take care of, and he described his attention as fixed on the coming season.

What the Knicks said, and what is on the table

On Friday, October 9, a team spokesperson said New York would not negotiate any extensions until later in the season so the organization could concentrate on preparing for opening night. The freeze covers every extension-eligible player on the roster, but Towns is the most expensive and most visible of them.

According to reports, including Shams Charania’s at ESPN, the Knicks’ latest proposal was worth about $200 million over four years. Towns is eligible for roughly $276 million across the same span, and he has been reported as open to taking less than the maximum. Neither the club nor his camp has confirmed the figures.

Owner James Dolan’s reported instruction to keep the payroll under the second tax apron hangs over all of it. Josh Hart and Miles McBride have both said they would like new deals as well; Hart has said the delay does not worry him much.

Why the player option matters

Towns earns $57.1 million this season and holds a player option worth about $61 million for 2027-28. To sign an extension once the season is underway, he would have to decline that option first. Towns said he had not given the option much thought because he never expected the talks to last this long.

The Knicks did not give a date for reopening negotiations. A deal remains possible before next summer, but for now Towns heads into the new season with his long-term future unresolved.

What comes next

New York hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns’ former team, in a preseason game on Monday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. Follow it in the Game Center. The Knicks dropped their last exhibition, 111-109 to Washington on October 8.