Knicks Suspend All Contract Extension Talks, Including Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, Until Later in the Season

The defending champions said Friday they will not negotiate extensions until later in the season, leaving Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek in limbo just before the title defense begins.

Knicks suspend contract extension talks for Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart 'until later in the season' — Yahoo Sports

The New York Knicks announced Friday, Oct. 9, that they are suspending negotiations on contract extensions with all eligible players until "later in the season," a pause that covers Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles "Deuce" McBride and Tyler Kolek. The statement, issued by a team spokesperson to multiple outlets, came a little more than 10 days before the 2026-27 season begins and less than four months after the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years with a five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals.

"As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of," the spokesperson said. "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."

The timing matters. The Athletic's Fred Katz noted that a deal would have needed to be done by Oct. 19, and that failing to extend Towns before the season would remove the most intuitive contract structure. He wrote that giving Towns the money he wants while preserving the payroll flexibility the Knicks insist on becomes tougher after that date.

Towns and the gap in the numbers

NBA Insider Shares Karl-Anthony Towns’ Reported Stance as New Knicks Contract Extension Update Emerges — Yahoo Sports

The Towns negotiation is the central issue. He is in the third year of a four-year, $224 million contract, with a $57.1 million salary this season and a player option of about $61 million for 2027-28. He is eligible for an extension of up to roughly $276 million over four years. Without one, he can become a free agent next July by declining that option.

Chris Haynes reported Friday that the sides "still remain far apart," and that Towns is willing to take less than the maximum but that the two sides are "nowhere close" to a number. The Knicks have reportedly offered about $200 million over four years. Towns said earlier in the week that he wants to keep the team together in a way that also values him, and that "none of those things" were close to happening. ESPN's Shams Charania described the sides as "fully divided" and called the pause an attempt to remove a growing distraction.

The second-apron question

The financial backdrop is owner James Dolan's stance against the NBA's second tax apron. After the title, Dolan said it would be suicidal to be a second-apron team. ESPN's Bobby Marks said that statement boxed in the front office, and the Knicks later lost center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics in free agency.

Marks also said scenarios presented to the Knicks within the past month would have let both Towns and Hart sign long-term extensions while keeping New York under the second apron in 2027-28. He said Towns' comments earlier in the week irked Dolan and prompted Friday's statement, a characterization relayed through the New York Post's Stefan Bondy and not confirmed by the team. If Marks is right, the stalemate is less about whether a structure exists than about how much the Knicks will pay.

Hart's timeline

Hart, 31, has been eligible for an extension of up to $132 million over four years, though reports expect him to take less. He is on a $20.9 million salary this season, and the Knicks hold a team option of about $22 million for 2027-28. After averaging 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 2025-26, he is a fan favorite.

Speaking Saturday, Hart said, "Everything is going to work out," adding that he is not "too stressed" and that the delay lets the team focus on the season. He also conceded that some days the situation will be top of mind. At media day he said it would be a "different conversation" if no deal were reached by February, which points to a natural checkpoint for the resumed talks.

Depth pieces and the rebounding hole

The pause also affects McBride and Kolek. McBride, the sixth man, is in the final year of the three-year, $13 million extension he signed in 2023 and is slated for unrestricted free agency this summer. Kolek, a 2024 second-round pick, has a $2.5 million team option for 2027-28. Neither has been the focus of public negotiations, but the blanket freeze leaves their situations unresolved.

On the court, Robinson's departure puts more of the rebounding load on Hart and Towns. Hart averaged just over eight rebounds a game over his three-plus seasons with the team, according to reporting, and was prominent on the glass during the title run. That makes his contract status relevant to the roster's balance as well as to its payroll.

Looking ahead

The Knicks also have to plan around Jalen Brunson, who is expected to receive a four-year, $290 million extension in 2027 that would begin in 2028-29. That commitment is the long-term reason the front office is guarding its flexibility.

The Knicks have chosen to push a contentious negotiation into the regular season, with the player option, the February checkpoint and next July's free agency all ahead. Whether the pause calms the situation or lets it grow will depend on how Towns and Hart perform and how both sides handle the months before talks resume.

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