Knicks reportedly weren't working with Karl-Anthony Towns before shutting down extension talks image
The New York Knicks are coming off an NBA championship for the first time in a very long time. With the regular season quickly approaching, the focus should be on defending their title. Instead, attention has shifted to contract extension talks that have gone south.
Specifically, Karl-Anthony Towns has been unhappy with how his contract situation has unfolded. He made it clear to the media that he hasn’t felt like he has been offered a good deal.
“Simply put – I want to do something to keep the team together and can work with the Knicks and also values me. And none of those things are close to happening," Towns said.
The extension talks have since come to a screeching halt, as the two sides failed to reach an agreement before the season. New York announced that it will now focus solely on the regular season.
“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of. As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season," a Knicks spokesperson told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Even with the announcement coming on Friday, Charania also reported that negotiations with Towns had been idle for some time.
“I’m told negotiations have been idle for a while…My understanding’s KAT would be willing to take 10s of millions less than his 4/276Mmax butfeelsthe4/~200M offer’s too extreme…KAT & Josh Hart have wanted Knicks to come back to the table…try to get something done before start of season…KAT has been willing to come up with arrangements that would allow them to stay under 2nd apron. But…Opening Night 11 days away and James Dolan, Knicks have shut the door on KAT’s wishes for a contract extension,” Charania said.
The gap between Towns and the Knicks appears too significant for the two sides to reach an agreement right now. New York does not want to commit too much money and risk going over the second apron, while Towns does not appear willing to accept a deal far below his desired value.
Towns was a valuable part of the team last season, but the situation now comes down to how much money he is willing to leave on the table. The Knicks still have decisions to make, but it appears they have not seriously discussed a potential extension with Towns in some time.
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