Thing is, OG didn’t really outperform his contract (largest in team history) before these playoffs. But he had one of the greatest performances in playoff history, especially for a guy who was thought of as a excellent role player but not a superstar, or even an all-star.

Whatever premium might have been paid for him, it wasn’t enough.

If I were Leon, I would offer something in the $43-50M AAV range for 3-4 years, i.e. 25%-ish of the cap. Maybe if he declines his option in 2027-28 at 35% and takes 25% instead, you give him an extra year.

Yeah, that was my thought process, you give him that 5th year player option at age 36 as a trade off for lowering his earnings in 27-28 season from ~$61m to ~43m.

And the bottom line is that he is not going to get teams into a bidding war for his services. Maybe there’s a shitty team with cap space (or an expansion team) that would be willing to throw the max they could at him, but does he really want that now?

If I were Leon, I would offer something in the $43-50M AAV range for 3-4 years, i.e. 25%-ish of the cap. Maybe if he declines his option in 2027-28 at 35% and takes 25% instead, you give him an extra year.

He’s turning 31 in November. I think his extension should be for 5yr and $212.5m. Same exact money as OG but from his 31 to 36yr old seasons. Think this is more than generrous compenastion for a returning champion who gets to finish his career as a hometown hero and potentially become a top 10 Knick of all time.

Leon has no choice but to trade him if he’s not willing to accept a pay cut. Kat’s peak earning season has to be this upcomimg 2026-27 season and focus on longevity and legacy instead.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/magazine/karl-anthony-towns-interview.html