Jalen Brunson may cost the Knicks Karl-Anthony Towns

For the first time in a little over five decades, the New York Knicks are the defending NBA champions.

However, the new CBA makes it tougher for championship-caliber teams to keep the band together for long and potentially make another title run. That might be the case with Mike Brown's team. Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for a four-year, $272 million maximum contract extension. He was also eligible for a max deal last offseason, but they couldn't get a deal done, and that might not change this time around.

According to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III, the Knicks would try to keep Towns in the Big Apple, but not with a maximum deal. Notably, this might be Jalen Brunson's fault.

The Knicks may not offer Karl-Anthony Towns a maximum contract

"One thing I’m certain of is that New York’s decision-makers will offer Towns an extension. What I’m not certain of, and don’t expect, is whether the cash-conscious Knicks will offer him a max contract," Edwards wrote. 

Brunson famously left over $100 million on the table when he signed his second deal with the Knicks. It ultimately helped them put together the squad that ended the franchise's 53-year championship drought, and it might have also set a precedent for other stars in the organization. 

Victor Wembanyama just took a page out of his book as well, taking less money than he could've in the first lucrative contract extension of his promising career. Whether Towns will want to leave money on the table, especially after already winning a championship, remains to be seen. He's slated to make roughly $57 million this season and has a player option worth a whopping $61 million for the 2027-28 campaign.