New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The 2026-27 season is the final year of Karl-Anthony Towns' contract. After negotiating a potential new deal with the New York Knicks, the organization decided to shut down those talks with the new campaign about to begin. Towns finally opened up about the situation on Sunday.
The 30-year-old center admitted that he is disappointed with the club's decision to postpone contract talks with him, according to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN. Towns acknowledged that it's a business at the end of the day, and he seems ready to shift his attention to the upcoming regular season.
“It was news to me,” Towns said about the Knicks shutting down contract talks. “Very disappointed to say the least. Let's state the obvious: It's business, but there is business on the court for us to handle.”
The 12-year veteran is eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $276 million. Whether he gets that kind of deal is yet to be seen, as the Knicks announced they will not negotiate any new deals until later in the season.
Karl-Anthony Towns played a crucial part in the club's championship run last year. He played in 75 games in the 2025-26 campaign going into the playoffs, averaging 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, while shooting 50.1% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the three-point line.
The Knicks have three games remaining in the preseason before beginning the 2026-27 campaign. The defending champions are scheduled to take on the new-look Philadelphia 76ers in the season opener on Tuesday, October 20. Towns' contract talks will not be addressed until further notice.