Both talks are shelved. The Knicks will play the playoffs unsigned.

The front office has suspended extension negotiations with Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, and the two will enter the postseason without new deals. It is not a surprise — the stalemate has been visible since camp opened — but it is now official in the way that matters: the regular season is over, and nothing got done. Towns played all 78 games, gave the Knicks 19.5 points and 11.1 rebounds a night on better than 50% shooting, and will head into a playoff run against Philadelphia without the security of a new contract. Hart, whose 11.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game made him one of the more quietly essential pieces on this roster, is in the same position.

The Knicks' read, presumably, is that the playoffs clarify leverage. A deep run strengthens the organization's hand; an early exit might soften the asking price. That logic is not irrational. What makes it uncomfortable is the opponent: a 76ers team that added LeBron James to Embiid, Maxey, and Jaylen Brown is not the kind of first-round draw that lets you manage risk carefully. The Knicks are already down three straight, their offense has cooled considerably from where it was a month ago, and they will be playing most of the series on the road given their No. 3 seed.

Both players will suit up. That part is settled. Everything else waits.