Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t hide his disappointment on Sunday when he was asked about the Knicks’ statement from two days prior, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

“It was news to me,” Towns said. “Very disappointed, to say the least. Let’s state the obvious: It’s a business, but there is business on the court for us to handle.”

New York announced late last week that it was tabling all contract talks with players who are eligible for extensions until later in the 2026/27 season.

That statement seemed to be mostly in response to Towns, who admitted this past Monday that he has been frustrated by his contract extension negotiations with the Knicks, telling reporters that he and the team weren’t close to reaching a deal and that he was surprised there was such a significant gap between the two sides on the heels of a championship season.

Reports — including today from Edwards — have indicated that New York’s offer to Towns is in the range of four years and $200MM. The star center, who will earn $57.1MM in 2026/27 and holds a $61MM player option for ’27/28, is eligible for a maximum extension worth a projected $276MM over four years. He’s said to be willing to accept less than his max, but he and the Knicks haven’t gotten close to a compromise.

In order to negotiate an in-season extension, Towns would have to decline his player option for 2027/28. He said Sunday that he hadn’t thought much about that possibility because he didn’t anticipate the negotiations lasting this long, according to Edwards (Twitter links). Still, Towns reiterated that he was focused on the season, even if he’s unhappy with the situation.

Josh Hart and Miles McBride have also publicly said they’d like to work out contract extensions with the Knicks, but no deals have been reached. Hart said Saturday that he’s “not really too stressed” over the team’s decision to postpone negotiations.

Team owner James Dolan’s mandate that the Knicks stay out of the second tax apron has complicated their various contract negotiations.