New York Knicks fans should enjoy their NBA title victory while it lasts, because it sounds like things will be a bit different for the organization next season.
In an appearance on WFAN Thursday, Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed he would not enter the so-called second apron to keep the team together this offseason. That essentially means the team’s payroll will be capped at $222 million.
“We’re willing to stretch, 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,” Dolan said. “I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”
"There's certain things in the NBA that you'd have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. I'll write as big of a check as possible, but I can't write a check that goes into the second apron."
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 17, 2026
– James Dolan on @CartonShowWFAN pic.twitter.com/KJFIccCnMf
The Knicks only have eight players under contract for next season if Jose Alvarado opts out of his $4.5 million player option. That would leave the team roughly $17 million under the second apron, with the likes of Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet set for agency. The team might lose one or both of those players as a result of those financial restrictions.
The desire to avoid the second apron is likely less about the money itself and more about the consequences that come with it. Any team that crosses that threshold would no longer be allowed to send cash in a trade, use the $6.1 million tax midlevel exception on a free agent, or pair multiple salaries together in a trade. That would significantly hinder the Knicks’ roster flexibility.
The Knicks do return most of their core next season. However, financial realities might mean that one of their star players will have to be sacrificed in the name of long-term flexibility.
