Carmelo Anthony said Monday that he believes the New York Knicks made the right decision in halting contract negotiations with some of their players so they can focus solely on basketball.
The Knicks said last week they were pausing talks with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, both of whom are eligible for extensions, until later in the season. The team plans to devote its full attention to defending its NBA championship.
Anthony, an All-Star for the Knicks during his Hall of Fame career, said he wasn’t alarmed by the news from a team that should be enjoying a happy stretch.
“I think it’s happier times, I just think things just move so fast now that you get a chance to celebrate the championship, then it’s business as usual, right? Business has got to go on,” Anthony said.
He added: “I think it was big for them to stop the conversations, and just, we’ll get to that. We’ll get to that at the end of the season.”
Anthony spoke at the NBC Sports studios, where he is preparing for his second season as an analyst on the network’s “NBA Showtime” studio show.
Contract Details
Towns is eligible for a four-year, $276 million deal. He is set to earn $57 million this season and holds a $61.1 million player option for 2027-28. He has expressed disappointment with the pace of negotiations after being an All-Star in both of his seasons since joining New York. He told reporters that the Knicks’ Friday statement that they were cutting off talks “was news to me.”
Hart will make $21 million this season, and the Knicks hold an option for 2027-28 at $22.4 million. He said he isn’t frustrated, but he had previously noted what the situation could mean for players at the February trade deadline if talks did not progress.
Anthony Predicts a Respectful Resolution
Anthony was represented by Leon Rose when he was traded to New York in 2011. Rose is now the Knicks president. Anthony, a frequent spectator during the team’s title run, said he believes the players and management will work things out respectfully.
“But whatever’s going to happen is going to happen,” Anthony said. “But right now, let the be all, be the be all, which is basketball. Let’s go defend this championship. And I think both parties understand.”