The New York Knicks are fresh off winning the NBA Finals. They got there with an expensive starting five, highlighted by Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns, all of whom will make greater than $20 million this upcoming season.

The latter of those players is eligible for a four-year, $276 million max contract extension. However, Shams Charania has reported that contract talks between the Knicks and their star center have grown stagnant. Towns has two years at around $60 million per year left on his current deal, but the second of those seasons is a player option, so the greatest 3-point shooting five-man ever could hit the open market at season's end.

“Negotiations on the contract extensions between the Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns have grown stagnated,” Charania said. “As it stands right now, a deal going into training camp is considered unlikely. All offseason, both of these sides have been discussing a deal extensively, and talks have been described to me as cordial. There has just not been movement on a deal.”

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The Knicks have made it known that they don't want to enter the second apron. At a max value contract for Towns, that would be hard to accomplish for the Knicks unless the core was significantly altered. Brunson took a discount for the betterment of his team not long ago, though, and Towns may have to do the same if the championship lineup is to stick together.