Knicks halt extension talks with Towns, Hart and others

New York has paused all contract extension talks until later in the season to focus on preparing for the 2026-27 campaign, the team told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek are all extension-eligible this offseason, per ESPN's Bobby Marks, and the Knicks have until June 30 to reach new deals with that group. Towns and Hart have both spoken openly about wanting new contracts.

Towns had said he and the Knicks were far apart on a deal, with reports putting New York's offer around four years and $200M against his max of roughly $276M. Hart has said he'd like a resolution before February.

The freeze comes as owner James Dolan has pushed the team to stay under the second tax apron, with OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges already combining for $113.7M this season.