Why There's Little Reason to Worry About Knicks and KAT Extension Talks

New York was the city that never sleeps long before smart phones. Today it’s a hotbed of sleep depravity, with something new to freak out about daily right in the palm of our hands. At New York Knicks Media Day, the freakout centered on the Knicks’ star center. Karl-Anthony Towns wants a contract extension, doesn’t have one and isn’t comfortable with that. Neither are Knicks fans.

That doesn’t mean something’s wrong. The last thing anyone wants is for the Knicks to screw up their title defense, particularly before it’s even underway. But there are reasons to pump the brakes on worrying Towns could be gone sooner than later. Plenty of reasons.

There’s no one like him

In Victor Wembanyama’s first-round matchup against Portland, the Spurs’ star shot 58% from the floor and 54% from deep. Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan made 30% of his field goals while missing 20 of 25 three-pointers.

In Wembanyama’s next series versus Minnesota, he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, shooting 51% from the field. The Wolves’ Rudy Gobert averaged seven points and eight assists. He didn’t make a three.

In the conference finals against Oklahoma City, Wembanyama put up 26 and 11 over seven games, including 41 in the opener. The Thunder’s Chet Holmgren averaged 11 points and seven rebounds; after making better than one 3threeper game in the regular season, Holmgren made only triple in the conference finals.

At first glance, Towns’ numbers in the Finals—13 points and 11 rebounds per game, 33% shooting from deep, more turnovers than assists—appear to fit with the other bigs Wembanyama faced. But those numbers don’t measure how often KAT’s teammates got better looks as a result of Wemby finally having to defend a center who could shoot, attack closeouts and create for his teammates.

A player like Clingan taking threes cuts the defense a break. A player like Holmgren can be tricky if he gets on a roll from deep. Towns is one of the greatest shooting seven-footers ever. It doesn’t matter if he’s shooting 73% from distance, 53% or 33%—no defense can risk giving him good looks. How many title contenders can keep Wembanyama as occupied one-on-one, removing him from the roving destructor role he plays so well?

If you consider the Nuggets a contender, there’s Nikola Jokic. That’s it. If Denver is serious about competing, they wouldn’t trade him. If the Knicks are serious about repeating, they won’t lose Towns.

Time and vibes are on their side

Towns holds a $61 million player option for next season. Even if the Knicks are unlikely to extend him from that number, they still hold most of the cards. If they want him back, there’s nine months to work it out. And all we’ve heard to this point is that Towns wants to be in New York. Why wouldn’t he?

Towns grew up a Knicks fan near the city. A proud Dominican, he plays in front of the largest community of Dominicans outside the D.R. He married model/actress/designer Jordyn Woods this summer. Not many places offer the connections and high-end options in all three fields New York does. KAT sounds like someone who’s happy and at peace with himself and with his home life, not someone caught up in a sudden wanderlust.

Knicks president Leon Rose was once KAT’s agent. Though Towns struggled to adjust to some of what Mike Brown asked of him, by year’s end they couldn’t have been more on the same page. This isn’t like Detroit and Jalen Duren, where we’re hours away from the player possibly committing to unrestricted free agency next summer. There’s no indication either side doesn’t want a reunion, just that they want it closer to their terms—the same as 99% of all contract negotiations ever.

Towns doesn’t have a deal today. If he doesn’t have one November or December, but does by January, February or anytime before next summer, all of the worry was for nothing.

What’s the alternative?

Imagine, if you will, the worst-case scenario: a breakdown in negotiations leads Towns to decide he wants out. Where would he go?

Presumably a team willing to pay him more than New York. Presumably one closer to meaningful games in June than the lottery. And one with the will, trade assets and cap room to risk it all on a 31-year-old big man his prior two teams got rid of. What team is that?

Would the Knicks swing a deal with an Eastern power, period? The Celtics and Cavaliers could use a sweet-shooting center, but the Knicks wouldn’t help them with that. Hard to imagine him agreeing to move to Detroit or Indiana, and even if they were interested and Towns was, too, the apron rules mean the Knicks can’t take back anymore money than they send out.

How is any good team going to send out $61 million in players New York would want, all to exchange six of something good for a half-dozen of something good? Tyrese Haliburton and Cade Cunningham aren't walking through that door.

It’s hard to trade a six-time All-Star and not get a high-end talent back in return. The Wolves could use some size, but the only player they have who'd interest the Knicks is Anthony Edwards. The Rockets would benefit from a five who can shoot better than Alperen Sengun, but he’s seven years younger than Towns and will make $50 million less the next two seasons. And none of the players I’m mentioning fit the Knicks’ needs nearly as well as Towns.

Negotiations are like marriage proposals: there are a million reasons one may go wrong, but more often than not them working out is more a matter of when than if. It would have been nice to have already agreed to an extension with Towns, but it isn’t a requirement at this point.

As long as it happens, whenever it happens, the player, the team and the fans will celebrate. If Towns builds off his postseason play last season, the Knicks will be celebrating again in June.

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