Karl-Anthony Towns reiterated Monday that he wants a contract extension with the New York Knicks, while acknowledging the discomfort of an unsettled deal as the team defends its NBA title. Towns spoke at the Knicks' media day.

"I've made it known I want to play here," said Towns. "I've been a fan since I was a kid. I'd like to get it done and step on the floor and feel as comfortable as possible."

Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth more than $276 million, but an agreement before the season does not appear likely. Towns is owed $57 million this season and holds a $61.1 million player option for next year.

Asked whether he would prefer to table talks once the season begins to avoid a distraction, Towns said comfort is not part of the equation.

"In this situation, there's no comfortability to be had," said Towns.

Towns averaged 15.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists last season as New York won its first title in 53 years with a five-game Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Towns turns 31 in November.

The Towns extension talks are an inflection point in keeping the championship core together and also staying below the second apron. That constraint has already cost the Knicks backup center Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Boston Celtics this summer.

Towns said he leaves the financial mechanics to team president Leon Rose.

"You ask me to give three facts or two facts about the second apron, I can't do it," said Towns. "I have no interest in that. It is what it is. Leon trusts me with stuff on the court, and I trust him with that stuff."

Towns said the team will address the topic openly during the season.

"The first thing is we try to talk about everything. We don't leave any elephants in the room," said Towns. "They'll figure it out and our group has done a fantastic job of understanding that we can only control what we can control."

Josh Hart is also eligible for an extension with the Knicks. He will earn $20.9 million this season, and the Knicks hold a $22.3 million team option for 2027-28. Hart said uncertainty can wear on players.

"When there's uncertainty, there's gonna be a lot of questions," said Hart. "Rumors and at a human level it can wear people down and it can affect how you handle business on a daily basis. You want to get it done so you don't have to deal with that. At the end of the day, it's a business. For me, as long as I'm wearing this jersey, I'm going to play as hard as I can. Hopefully we can figure that out."