Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart put pressure on Knicks with worry over uncomfortable contract realities
Two core Knicks made it clear they’re uncomfortable with their contract situations.As hope dwindles on the prospects of extension agreements before the season, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart applied tacit pressure on the Knicks by outlining the potential distractions and negative impacts of uncertain futures.“I think in this situation, there’s no comfortability to be had,” Towns said on Media Day.“That’s probably the best answer to that.”The Knicks have offered Towns well below his max extension of four years, $277 million, asking the All-Star to take a pay cut from his current salary while navigating the second apron.
The sides are far apart and unlikely to reach an agreement before the real games start Oct.20.After trade rumors sapped Towns’ focus and performance for much of last season, the 30-year-old said he wants contract security “to feel as comfortable as possible.”He can sign up until the end of June.“I made it known I want to play here.
I’ve been a fan since I was young.I would like to get one done, of course,” said Towns, who can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 if he doesn’t get an extension and declines his $61 million player option for next season.
“Obviously I would like to get it done so I can feel as comfortable as possible.”Hart further detailed the distractions of lingering negotiations, noting that expiring deals often lead to relocation via trade.He revealed Monday that an extension before the season is unlikely because discussions stagnated.“You don’t want that trickling into the season.
Because whenever there’s uncertainty, there’s gonna be a lot of questions, there’s gonna be a lot of rumors,” Hart said.“At a human level, sometimes that can wear people down and it can affect how you go out and handle business on a day-to-day basis, just some of that uncertainty.“So obviously that’s something that you want to get done so that you don’t have to deal with that and focus on that....