What to Make of Knicks’ Contract Situations With Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart

The New York Knicks are heading into the 2026 regular season with some drama surrounding key players and their front office. Center Karl-Anthony Towns and guards Josh Hart and Miles McBride are eligible for contract extensions, but the front office has decided to pause all negotiations to focus on the regular season. 

Josh Hart specifically has said he would not want these contract negotiations to linger into the regular season, and he hoped a deal would be made by now, but he will have to wait. 

As for Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s been reported that the Knicks have made offers that are lower than what he desires, and that has caused some friction between the two parties.  

ESPN NBA front office insider Bobby Marks recently came on SportsCenter and broke down the situation these players are in and what it means for the Knicks moving forward. 

"There are two players in Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns that want to dance right now, and their partner is nowhere to be seen,” Marks said. 

Marks also mentioned that the Knicks are a team that wants to stay under the second apron, and he broke down the way New York could extend Towns and Hart while staying under the limit. 

Guard Pacome Dadiet has a $5 million team option that the Knicks can decline, which would save them money. That money can go towards extending Josh Hart while having Karl-Anthony Towns opt into his player option for 2027-2028. 

While the Knicks have to make risks and be flexible, there is a way these deals can be done. The main priority has to be winning for this locker room. 

Bobby Marks brought up a point that many are overlooking, and that is if this team starts to lose, much of the outside conversation will be focused on the contract extensions and whether or not they’re distractions to the team. 

To the media, the Knicks have stayed even-keeled, and that kind of attitude would have to continue in the midst of a slump. 

While things seem to be awkward, this team does seem to understand what the task at hand is. Earlier this offseason, Karl-Anthony Towns was on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and he described the Knicks’ mentality as hungry. 

New York will have to play a loaded Eastern Conference this season, and they will run into many challenges as they look to win back-to-back NBA championships. A successful season for the Knicks could guarantee extensions for Hart and Towns, but it leaves questions for other areas of the roster.