Karl-Anthony Towns: "Hell Yeah" I Want To Stay With Knicks

Merlin sees Karl-Anthony Towns declaring, "Hell yeah, hell yeah. I want to stay here," making clear he wants a long-term future in New York. With two years and about $110 million left on his contract, Towns’ public commitment matters: he helped lift the Knicks to their first conference finals since 2000 and is averaging 21.7 points and 11.9 rebounds this season, so keeping him steadies New York’s title aspirations. Merlin notes there’s "no urgency" from the front office to rush an extension, and Towns will again be eligible next offseason. His shooting has dipped (44.9% FG, 32.7% 3PT), but the Knicks’ 13-6 start shows the fit is paying off. If Towns regains efficiency, New York’s ceiling climbs; if not, negotiations could get spicy.