The Detroit Pistons have too much on their plate right now to be thinking about Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks. But that doesn't mean they couldn't at least take some satisfaction in knowing one of their top rivals was dealing with drama around its starting center, too.
Shams Charania's report to ESPN made it sound like New York would have a KAT-like cloud hanging over it entering training camp, just as Detroit will with Jalen Duren if nothing gets done. While it's certainly notable that the Knicks are still apart in negotations with Towns, as SNY's Ian Begley noted, there's been "plenty of conversations" between the two sides and that those discussions have been "positive."
Whether Towns and the Knicks agree to an extension before the season starts, he'll still be at training camp because he's under contract for at least one more year, with a $61 million player option for 2027-28.
On the other hand, Duren likely won't be with Detroit next week for Media Day or into the start of training camp if a deal doesn't get done. The deadline for him to accept his $9.6 million qualifying offer is Oct. 1, and while the two sides could agree to push that back, that doesn't seem likely, either.
Jalen Duren is still the center everyone is wondering about
Duren drew even more attention to his ongoing restricted free agency saga with Detroit by turning down a five-year, $200 million offer from the Pistons, as Charania first reported earlier this week. That makes it seem like he has no intention of playing for the team again.
Towns and the Knicks are nowhere near that point. He's eligible to sign a four-year, $273 million extension, but New York wants him to take less, somewhere in the $45 million to $55 million range, as Begley reported. James Dolan made it clear the team won't go into the second tax apron. Josh Hart and Deuce McBride are eligible for extensions right now, and Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby will be next year.
The Knicks have their work cut out for them, and though Begley said that talks between KAT and the team have been positive, that doesn't mean feelings won't change. He could test free agency next summer, as a slew of teams will have the cap space to lure him away from New York. That would work in Detroit's favor.
Right now, though, the Knicks aren't dealing with a disgruntled star player who could thwart their hopes of competing for a championship this upcoming season, which is, unfortunately, the situation that the Pistons are in with Duren.
This is where I'd say Detroit can still make it out of this on the other side, but there doesn't seem to be much chance of that happening. Maybe New York will be in a similar position next summer, at least.
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