Karl-Anthony Towns grabs five rebounds vs. Sizers

Charania’s report aired on ESPN Wednesday afternoon. Towns is eligible to sign a four-year, $276 million max extension. According to a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the Knicks are asking Towns to take less than the max, which explains how the negotiations have seemingly fallen apart. Towns’ stock will likely never be higher coming off a championship run where he was arguably the second-best player on the team. He’s coming off the board in the early part of the second-round of fantasy drafts.

For the second consecutive game, Towns struggled with foul trouble on Saturday. While he was productive as a rebounder and defender in his 23 minutes, extended bench time robbed KAT of his offensive rhythm. However, this did not keep the Knicks from winning their first NBA title since 1973. And even with the poor individual finish, Towns’ play throughout New York’s title run may boost his value in fantasy drafts. The Knicks were most lethal when more of the offense ran through KAT, which may be an approach head coach Mike Brown takes in 2026-27. Using a late-first round pick on Towns in standard league drafts would not be a reach.

Towns battled early foul trouble in Game 4 but showed up for his team when it mattered most. He logged just 18 minutes but scored a couple of big baskets in the fourth quarter as the Knicks mounted their comeback, and finished the period as a team-best plus-21. The veteran center earned his third double-double of the series despite the low minutes total on Wednesday. He’ll have an opportunity to tally a fourth when the Knicks attempt to close out the Spurs on Saturday.

As the teams left the floor for halftime at the end of the first half, cameras caught Towns letting everyone know that Victor Wembanyama can’t mess with him. He continued to back up that talk in the second half with his second double-double of the series. Towns isn’t close to being dominated by Wembanyama the way the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren was in the Western Conference finals. The way he’s playing right now, he’s closer to having a legitimate chance of winning Finals MVP.

Towns’ biggest moments of Wednesday’s contest came in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the frame while helping overcome a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 76 at the period’s end. He didn’t score in the final frame, but still concluded the game with solid numbers. The veteran center had several nice drives and finishes at the basket while being defended in isolation by Victor Wembanyama. If he can continue to hold his own in that matchup, the Knicks could find themselves in favorable positions.

Previous reports indicated that Robinson should be available, and he was able to do some individual work on Sunday. However, his official designation for the first game of the Finals is questionable. Don’t expect Mike Brown to dip deep down the depth chart for center minutes if Robinson is out. Karl-Anthony Towns will likely play a massive workload, with Ariel Hukporti giving him a few minutes to breathe when Victor Wembanyama isn’t on the floor.

Towns was efficient with 19 points on 11 attempts in Game 4 as the Knicks completed a sweep of the Cavaliers and advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. Towns was +25 in 26 minutes as New York dominated from the start of the game, leading by 19 points at halftime. The Knicks will have eight full days off before the NBA Finals, where they’ll face the winner of the Western Conference finals.

Towns came out hot in Game 3, scoring 11 of the Knicks’ 37 first-quarter points. He would only score three more points the rest of the way, but the ability to facilitate for others was once again on display. Towns recorded a team-high seven assists in Game 3, and he was also responsible for eight rebounds and three steals. While Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have put up decent numbers, Towns has been the best post player in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks will look to complete the sweep with a win in Game 4 on Monday.

After a modest scoring effort in Game 1, Towns was a bit better in Thursday’s Game 2 victory. He hasn’t been able to facilitate as much as he did in the first two playoff series, but KAT has been dominant on the glass against the Cavaliers. Through two games, Towns has 26 rebounds, and unlike Game 1, he kept the turnovers in check on Thursday. The Knicks center did not commit any after coughing up the ball seven times in Game 1. Game 3 is on Saturday in Cleveland, with New York looking to take a 3-0 lead.

Karl-Anthony Towns notched his seventh double-double of the postseason on Tuesday in his 40 minutes of game action. Yet, his numbers weren’t spectacular. Towns struggled from behind the three-point line, and his seven turnovers are notable. Still, he was part of a Knicks unit that overcame a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to push the team to a Game 1 win. Towns has had a productive postseason and will have a chance to add to it in Game 2.