The New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought by building one of the deepest and most versatile rosters in franchise history.
Keeping that group together, however, may prove impossible.
Appearing Tuesday on WFAN’s The Carton Show, Knicks owner James Dolan delivered his clearest public message yet about the organization’s offseason spending plans, saying New York cannot afford to cross the NBA’s second-apron threshold.
“If we could bring back the whole team, why wouldn’t you, but I don’t know we’re gonna be able,” Dolan said. “We’re willing to stretch, but 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.”
The comments immediately cast uncertainty over several key pieces of New York’s championship roster.
– James Dolan on @CartonShowWFAN
Knicks Face Difficult Roster Decisions
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the Knicks project to sit roughly $13.2 million below the second apron entering the offseason.
That flexibility could disappear quickly.
Unrestricted free agents Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson all played meaningful roles during New York’s title run. Jose Alvarado also has a player option and could enter free agency.
The Knicks can exceed the salary cap to re-sign some of those players because they hold Bird rights on Robinson and Alvarado and early Bird rights on Shamet. But every additional dollar pushes New York closer to a financial threshold that Dolan publicly ruled out.
The timing of his comments is notable because negotiations with the Knicks’ own free agents can begin immediately following the NBA Finals.
Why the NBA’s Second Apron Matters
The second apron is more than a tax bill.
Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, teams operating above that line face severe roster-building restrictions.
Second-apron teams cannot aggregate salaries in trades, cannot use more than 100% of outgoing salary in deals, cannot send cash in trades and risk having future first-round draft picks frozen.
For a franchise that assembled its championship core largely through trades, those restrictions could severely limit roster flexibility.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, New York became only the second NBA champion, joining the 2019 Toronto Raptors, to win a title with four starters acquired via trade. The Knicks were also the first champion to clinch a Finals victory with all five starters having debuted elsewhere.
Crossing the second apron could make sustaining that formula far more difficult.
Championship Core Remains Intact
Despite Dolan’s comments, New York’s foundation remains firmly in place.
Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns are all under contract next season.
Bridges’ extension pushes New York into luxury-tax territory and close to the first apron, but the starting lineup that delivered the franchise’s first title since 1973 remains intact.
The bigger questions surround the supporting cast.
Robinson emerged as one of the league’s most impactful reserve centers, while Shamet became one of the NBA playoffs’ best value signings after shooting 39.2% from three during the regular season and an astonishing 11-for-12 from deep in the Eastern Conference finals.
Alvarado and Clarkson also provided vital bench scoring and playmaking as New York transformed one of last year’s weaknesses into a postseason strength.
Dolan made clear he is willing to spend aggressively to chase another championship.
But for all the jubilation surrounding the Knicks’ historic title, his remarks on WFAN served as a reminder that even champions operate within limits — and that difficult decisions could be coming to Madison Square Garden.
James Dolan Sends Sobering Message on Knicks’ Championship Future