Towns extension gets complicated: Smith rips the Knicks
A massive $77 million separates the Knicks’ offer from the maximum Karl-Anthony Towns could receive. Stephen A. Smith is not having it and calls out the New York franchise
After a summer spent talking about Jalen Duren’s extension, another star could soon find himself in a similar situation: Karl-Anthony Towns. Fresh off the championship that ended a 53-year drought, the New York Knicks now have to figure out how to keep their title-winning roster together without blowing up the payroll.
And that is exactly where the problem begins. Towns has reportedly received a four-year, $200 million offer, well short of the $277 million he could receive with a max extension. It is a significant difference, one the player reportedly viewed as disrespectful after his contribution to the championship run.
Appearing on ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith pointed the finger primarily at James Dolan and his desire to avoid the second apron.
That damn James Dolan is getting in the way again. We have some concerns
Stephen A. Smith
Smith understands the Knicks’ need to consider their other major contracts as well, starting with Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, but in his view $200 million is simply too little.
I’m not saying Karl-Anthony Towns absolutely has to get the max. I understand that Brunson and Anunoby have to be taken care of too, but you can’t disrespect him by offering him $77 million less. You have to give him a respectful offer
Stephen A. Smith
The solution? Meet somewhere around the middle. Smith believes an offer in the $225-227 million range would make more sense, asking Towns to make a sacrifice similar to the one Brunson already made to help New York keep the team together.
You tell him: “We need you to make this sacrifice. Jalen Brunson did it, and we’re asking you to do it too.” So it won’t be $277 million, maybe it’ll be $225-227 million. He might not like it, but at least it wouldn’t be disrespectful
Stephen A. Smith
The issue where Smith and Dolan appear to be furthest apart is precisely the second apron. In Smith’s view, after finally winning the championship, the Knicks should be willing to cross it if that is what it takes to avoid losing important pieces of the team.
Dolan sees it differently: in the past, he even described the second apron as “suicidal”, especially because of all the restrictions it creates in roster building. After waiting 53 years to return to the top of the NBA, however, New York now faces another challenge: keeping together the team that finally got there.