James Dolan sounds ready to invest in the Knicks after their title run, but even he has his limits, and that may cost the team a shot at keeping everyone.
After 53 years, New York finally got its hands back on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Now the harder part begins: paying a championship roster without triggering the NBA’s harshest spending restrictions.
James Dolan rules out Knicks crossing second apron
Speaking to WFAN, Dolan made it clear that the President of Basketball Operations Leon Rose will not have a blank check this summer.
“If we could bring back the whole team, exactly as it is, why wouldn’t you? But I don’t know if we’re going to be able to. We’re willing to stretch, right? But there’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. And we’re not going to do those. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron… I’m just telling him (Leon Rose) how big of a check I can write. I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”
The second apron is not just about luxury tax penalties. Teams that cross it lose key roster-building tools, including the mid-level exception, salary aggregation in trades, cash in trades, and some sign-and-trade flexibility. Stay over it too long, and a future first-round pick can be frozen, then pushed to the end of the round.
Knicks roster already close to apron limit
According to Spotrac, nine Knicks are already under contract for 2026-27: Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jose Alvarado, Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet, and Tyler Kolek.
Those salaries add up to $205.46 million, with about $16.54 million left before hitting the second apron. Once the No. 24 pick is added, New York is around $209 million, leaving roughly $13 million below the apron with only 10 standard spots filled.
That means the Knicks still need at least four more players to meet the NBA’s regular-season minimum, or five to carry a full 15-man roster.
The free agency list is not short. Mitchell Robinson’s cap hold alone is $24.61 million. Even a smaller new deal would eat up most of the remaining space. Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara, Ariel Hukporti, Jordan Clarkson, and Jeremy Sochan are also unsigned.
Dolan is willing to pay a huge luxury tax bill. Spotrac’s numbers already have the Knicks well over the tax line before those decisions. But he will not cross the second apron, and that could force the champions to watch key pieces walk away.
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