Knicks' championship defense threatened by tense Karl-Anthony Towns talks

The New York Knicks are entering their title defense, but right from the get go, their end goal to defend the championship might already be imperiled. Extension talks with Karl-Anthony Towns have reportedly been rough, with the All-Star big man apparently getting asked by the front office to take an unreasonable pay cut.

The All-Star big man and his camp are rumored to have rejected what New York has put out on the table, which is far from surprising. Be that as it may, that does not change the fact that this is far from an ideal development, as these contractual matters will most likely spill over into the season and embroil the team all season long.

The Knicks get the ultimate distraction as Karl-Anthony Towns extension talks hit roadblock

Last season, the Knicks were so determined to win the championship that they managed to get past all their issues and eventually peaked at the right time. 

Towns finding his voice in their offensive attack was a critical piece of the puzzle, as he ended up playing the most impactful basketball of his life in the playoffs as an all-around operator for New York.

But with this impasse on his extension, Towns is bound to get caught up in the attendant off-court dramas that could ensue. The Knicks are also dealing with looming extensions for a handful of other key pieces. Eventually, those are going to define their season one way or the other and potentially keep their attention away from defending their title.

The Knicks trying to save costs as much as possible is not helping them, either. Their ownership has been steadfast in avoiding the second luxury-tax apron, which means that concessions will have to be made in order to abide by that edict.

Towns is a very big part of the Knicks' success. Without him, defending the title is impossible. However, even though he is still here, the threat of him being on a different jersey might just be more than enough to keep them away from the smooth sailing that ushered in their title run this past season.