Winning a championship is supposed to be the finish line. For the New York Knicks, it turned out to be the starting gun for one of the most painful offseasons any title team has faced in recent memory. The math is brutal.
Owner James Dolan made his stance public on WFAN on June 17, and reiterated it internally before the draft: the Knicks will not cross the second apron, projected at $222 million for 2026-27. That one line in the sand is now determining who gets to stay.
Knicks Second Apron Crunch Makes Robinson and Shamet Returns Nearly Impossible
GettyKnicks’ Next Move May Decide Mitchell Robinson’s Future
Per SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are operating as if they will stay under the second apron, and that stance has been firm since before the draft. According to Spotrac, New York’s 10 committed players already account for $210.4 million in salary for 2026-27.
That leaves roughly $11.5 million before hitting the ceiling. But the Knicks still need to fill four roster spots to reach the league-mandated 14-man minimum. At the estimated minimum of around $2.2 million per slot, that costs around $9 million alone. Effective room remaining: roughly $2.5 million.
Robinson is coming off a contract worth roughly $15 million annually and is expected to draw similar offers on the open market, some with starting roles attached. The Knicks can not offer him the same again if they don’t want to the second apron.
Shamet is cheaper, but not cheap enough. After shooting 39.2% from three in the regular season and putting on a historic performance in the Eastern Conference Finals, he is expected to fetch around $8 million per year. Even at that number, signing him alone would blow past what little effective room remains.
Can Trading McBride or Dadiet Actually Save the Knicks This Offseason
GettyMiles McBride Trade Could Be Knicks’ Key to Re-Signing Mitchell Robinson
Both Pacôme Dadiet and Deuce McBride have been floated as trade candidates, per multiple reports. Moving McBride ($3.95 million) and Dadiet ($2.98 million) would clear roughly $6.9 million combined. But every traded player needs a replacement, and those replacements cost minimum contracts. Most of those savings get absorbed right back.
The math just does not work cleanly in any scenario. Even clearing both guards and replacing them at minimum, the net gain barely moves the needle enough to fit Robinson or Shamet at market value without crossing Dolan’s line.
The trades being discussed are not really about saving the core. They are about surviving the offseason without triggering the second apron’s severe long-term penalties, which include frozen draft picks and blocked trades for years down the line.
The Knicks won their first title in 53 years. Keeping this group together was never going to be easy, but few expected the cap wall to be this unforgiving, this fast.
Knicks Face Brutal Cap Reality as Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet Exits Look Nearly Inevitable