Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Criticism About Knicks Star's Contract is Overblown

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 8:00 AM ET

CBS Sports recently dropped their worst NBA contracts ranking, and New York Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns cracked the top 10 at No. 10.

This is a list that also features the likes of Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, and Paul George, players who are either injury-riddled or genuine franchise headaches. Putting KAT on that list is just questionable, and the numbers prove it.

Towns is averaging 19.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game this season, the latter of which is second-best in the entire NBA.

He is shooting 48.5% from the field. The CBS Sports article leans heavily on his shooting dip and a bone chip injury in his right thumb as proof of permanent decline.

Last‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ year, KAT averaged 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds over 72 games and earned his fifth All-Star selection. If you ask me, those numbers and that All-Star selection work quite a bit in KAT's favour.

His‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ 36.7% shooting from beyond the arc is still a very decent mark for a center, so it's unfair to call it a true collapse.

The Greatest Shooting Big in NBA History?

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ fact that every critic conveniently ignore is that Karl-Anthony Towns has made 1,209 three-pointers in his career, which is among the most by a big man in the history of the NBA.

That is a historically rare offensive weapon the Knicks have at the five position that no other team in the league can match. You simply do not put the all-time leader in center three-pointers on a worst contracts list without acknowledging what that means for spacing, shot creation, and offensive ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌identity.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ CBS report focused heavily on a report from the trade deadline period saying Towns would bring back "salary-matching players" in a potential multi-team Giannis Antetokounmpo trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.

That was a specific, complex blockbuster scenario, not a universal verdict on his market value. Using a single leaked rumor to define his worth doesn't feel fair or honest.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Knicks are NBA Cup winners this season and are a real contender in the East. Towns is a major reason for that. Embiid, for example, usually plays less than 40 games each season. Paul George underdelivered at every stop. KAT always steps up, controls the boards, and keeps New York in the talks for the championship night after night.

A list of the worst contracts should not feature a player like KAT.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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