Sports · Basketball · 3 hrs ago
Towns Says He Would Take Less Than the Maximum to Keep Knicks Together
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns says he would take less than the maximum on a contract extension because keeping the team together is his priority.
New York has paused extension talks with eligible players; its offer to Towns was reported to be about $50 million a year, below a projected maximum of $69 million a year.
In the Knicks’ season-opening loss to Philadelphia, coach Mike Brown tried different lineups after Towns got into early foul trouble, including playing backup center Andre Drummond for 14 straight minutes.
Toronto forward Kawhi Leonard is building up his activity after an uncertain offseason, and he scored 23 points in 24 minutes in the Raptors’ win over Chicago.
Celtics center Mitchell Robinson says he must improve after Boston was heavily beaten by Detroit in its season opener, as he adjusts to a new offensive system.
Robinson spent his first eight NBA seasons with New York before joining Boston, which hosts the Knicks for its home opener on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns said he would accept less than the maximum salary on a contract extension to help keep the Knicks’ team together.
He said keeping the team’s core intact was his main priority when extension talks began.
Before the Knicks said they were pausing talks with extension-eligible players, their offer to Towns was reportedly around $50 million per year.
Towns’s projected maximum was $276 million over four seasons, or $69 million per year.
- Who
- Karl-Anthony Towns, a Knicks player.
- What
- He said he would take less than the maximum on an extension to help keep the team together.
- When
- In an interview reported on October 22, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- He said keeping the Knicks’ core together was his main priority.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Knicks’ offer to Towns was reportedly in the range of $50 million annually.
Hoops Rumors reported Towns’s comments in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
- Reported offer
- In the range of $50 million annually
- Projected maximum
- $276 million over four seasons
- Projected annual maximum
- $69 million per year
- All-Star selections
- Six for Towns
What people are saying
I want this team to stay together
That’s always been my main priority, was to keep everyone here, to keep this core, this special team that we have.
There was nowhere in my mind a max was even thought of.