New York Knicks put extension talks with Towns and three others on hold until later in the season

“As an organisation, our full focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and giving our fans another year to be proud of,” a team spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “As a result, we will not be negotiating extensions until later in the season.” ESPN analyst Bobby Marks noted that the Knicks are under no time pressure, as the rules allow extensions to be completed until 30 June.

The biggest name of the four is Towns. The six-time All-Star is guaranteed around $57.1 million this season and has a player option worth about $61 million for 2027/28. He is eligible for a four-year extension worth around $273 million. SNY’s Ian Begley previously reported a gap between Towns’ demands and the Knicks’ position, with the club discussing a starting annual salary of $45-50 million.

Last season, Towns averaged 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 75 regular-season games, then helped New York to the title with 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 19 playoff games.

Hart and McBride are also key rotation players, and their futures could depend largely on how the Towns situation is resolved. Hart averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 66 games, while McBride posted 12.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 41 games. Kolek appeared in 62 games.