After winning the NBA championship, the New York Knicks have had a quiet offseason, but recent Karl-Anthony Towns rumors could disrupt that. The Knicks, according to The Athletic's James L. Edwards, are unlikely to give Towns an extension.
That's despite him being an integral part in their championship run. But it may actually be a shrewd move by New York.
Towns is eligible for a four-year, $272 million extension that would pay him around $70 million a season. Between him and Jalen Brunson, the Knicks could be paying their two best players more than $130 million in just a couple of seasons.
Knicks made their stance on Karl-Anthony Towns clear
The Knicks will soon run up into the second apron, much like how teams such as the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets have before them. That could eventually force them to choose between Towns and OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
If given the choice, it's hard to imagine them not keeping Anunoby and Bridges. That would mean that Towns could be the odd man out. New York may be forced to trade arguably the second-best player or risk losing him for nothing.
It's hard to imagine the Knicks trading their second-best player during the season in which they were trying to repeat as champions. However, if they are holding firm on not giving him a contract extension, that means that he can become a free agent after next season.
In which case, training him by the February 11th deadline will be the only way to recoup value.
Next season may be Karl-Anthony Town's last with the Knicks
I have a hard time believing that New York would trade Towns mid-season while they were trying to repeat. Instead, I can see them working out a sign and trade next summer or letting him leave in free agency all together.
The former would allow them to recoup some value for Towns while letting him find a new team. The latter would clear his massive contract off the books and allow them to proceed forward with a core of Brunson, Anunoby, and Bridges.
It's unfortunate that the NBA second apron would break up the first New York championship team in more than five decades, but it was designed to break up great teams.
That flawed rule is doing exactly what it was intended to do, and it could result in the Knicks being forced to trade Towns or let him leave in free agency.
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