BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 07: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks reacts during the first quarter against the Boston Celticsn Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 07, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Jalen Brunson initially took a salary “haircut” to help the Knicks build what eventually became an NBA championship roster.
Now Karl-Anthony Towns is in position to do something similar to keep that roster intact.
The Piscataway, N.J. native and former No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky is eligible for a 4-year, $272-million extension. But if he agreed to take less, the way Brunson did, the Knicks could potentially re-sign unrestricted free agents Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet.
“If Karl Towns is willing to take a little bit of a haircut, you know, $7-10 million over the course of multiple seasons and Josh Hart is also extension eligible this summer, if both of them are willing to take a little bit of a haircut, you could see this core staying together for three, four, five years,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Friday on air.
“If Karl Towns wants his full max extension…it’s gonna be hard to keep the roster together after next season.”
As detailed by Zachary Folk of Forbes, Brunson signed with the Knicks in 2022 for more than $104 million—a bargain for a future Finals MVP when superstars like Nikola Jokic were signing contracts worth up to $276 million.
Brunson then agreed to a $156.6 million contract extension over the summer in 2024, signing a deal for less money than if he waited to negotiate during free agency.
Had Brunson waited until his free agency, he would have been eligible for a deal worth a reported $269 million over the next five years—effectively turning down about $113 million, giving the Knicks the salary cap space to build out a championship-winning team around him.
The Knicks went on to acquire crucial parts of their 2026 squad with the available space, including Towns and Brunson’s former Villanova teammate Mikal Bridges.
Now Towns can pay it back to help the Knicks retain Robinson and Shamet. Jose Alvarado can also become a free agent on Monday.
Knicks owner James Dolan said this week on WFAN radio that “We cannot go into the second apron” to keep the roster intact.
The NBA’s second apron is a harsh salary cap threshold implemented to penalize hyper-spending franchises, deter superteams, and force roster parity. Teams that exceed this limit face severe, multi-layered restrictions on trades, free agency, and draft assets.
According to Dolan’s edict, the Knicks would not be able to keep Robinson and Shamet.
Per ESPN, the Knicks “were just $200,000 under the second apron this past season.” ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirmed the Knicks are projected to be $13 million under the second apron next season (with salaries of $209 million compared to the second apron number of $222 million).
All five starters from the 2025-26 season are under contract for at least two more seasons, but Dolan’s announcement would mean changes on the bench.
“If Jim Dolan is to be taken at that edict, there will be no Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet back,” Windhorst said Thursday on “Get Up.”