TITLE: Karl-Anthony Towns Refutes ESPN Claim of Off-Season Knee and Finger Procedures
SLUG: karl-anthony-towns-denies-offseason-treatment-report
CONTENT:
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns has rejected an ESPN report that he received medical procedures on a bruised left knee and ligament damage in his left finger during the summer, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
In June, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne stated that Towns had both issues addressed shortly after New York’s playoff exit. Shelburne reported that the 28-year-old injured his finger in Game 3 of the Knicks’ second-round series against the Boston Celtics and hurt his knee during the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Indiana Pacers. She added that Towns chose immediate treatment once the team was eliminated to maximize recovery time before the 2024-25 season. Shelburne has not publicly responded to Towns’ denial.
The Athletic noted that no contract extension talks have taken place between Towns and the Knicks. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently said the club has not opened negotiations this offseason. Towns is entering the second season of the four-year, $220 million deal he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022, a contract that carries a 2027-28 player option and roughly $170 million remaining.
Towns earned his fifth All-Star berth and a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in his first year with New York, averaging 24.4 points, a career-best 12.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steal over 72 games. He posted 44 points and 13 rebounds in a 116-107 victory against the Miami Heat on Oct. 29, the highest scoring game by a Knicks center since Patrick Ewing in 1995. Towns was later named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for December after guiding New York to a 12-2 record.
Source: Basketball Insiders
