James Dolan’s public refusal to cross the NBA’s second apron may have already identified the first potential casualties of the New York Knicks‘ championship roster.
According to SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley, veteran center Mitchell Robinson and sharpshooter Landry Shamet are the players most at risk if the franchise remains below the league’s punitive spending threshold.
“If Knicks stay below 2nd apron, they will lose Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet … something seems amiss here,” Begley wrote Wednesday on X.
Begley’s assessment was in response to Dolan, who appeared on WFAN’s The Carton Show and made it clear that there is a financial line the Knicks do not intend to cross.
“There’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do,” Dolan said. “One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron.”
Knicks’ Salary Situation Creates Difficult Choices
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, New York currently sits approximately $13.2 million below the second apron.
However, the Knicks are projected to exceed that threshold if both Robinson and Shamet are retained in free agency.
The issue goes beyond luxury-tax payments.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, second-apron teams cannot aggregate salaries in trades, cannot take back more than 100% of outgoing salary in deals and cannot send cash to facilitate trades. If the Knicks finish the 2026-27 season above the second apron, their 2034 first-round draft pick becomes frozen.
Those penalties carry particular significance for a franchise that built its championship roster largely through trades.
For Dolan, preserving long-term flexibility appears to outweigh the benefits of keeping every member of the title team together.
Mitchell Robinson Could Become One of Free Agency’s Most Coveted Centers
GettyNew York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama battle for a rebound during Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals in San Antonio, Texas. Robinson finished with 10 rebounds, including a pivotal late offensive board that helped seal New York’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
Robinson’s potential departure would represent a major loss.
The longest-tenured Knick played an integral role in New York’s run to its first championship since 1973, providing elite rim protection and offensive rebounding off the bench.
According to Marks, the Knicks outscored opponents by 6.7 points per 100 possessions with Robinson on the floor during the regular season.
Despite playing fewer than 20 minutes per game, Robinson averaged 8.8 rebounds and once again established himself as one of the NBA’s most impactful reserve centers.
Because the Knicks possess Bird rights, they can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him. Doing so, however, could significantly narrow their cushion below the second apron.
Landry Shamet Emerged as One of New York’s Best Bargains
GettyNew York Knicks guard Landry Shamet celebrates after a big play during the team’s postseason run to the NBA Finals, where his breakout shooting performances helped end a 53-year championship drought.
Shamet’s emergence may make his potential departure equally painful.
The veteran guard signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract and became one of the league’s best value acquisitions.
He averaged 9.3 points and shot 39.2% from three-point range during the regular season before catching fire in the playoffs. During the Eastern Conference finals, Shamet connected on 11 of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc, the highest three-point percentage in a playoff series since the NBA adopted the three-point line in 1979-80.
The Knicks hold early Bird rights on Shamet and can offer a multiyear deal, but every additional dollar matters.
Begley’s comments underscore the difficult balancing act awaiting team president Leon Rose.
The championship core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart remains intact.
Keeping the supporting cast together may prove far more complicated.
And if Begley’s read on the situation proves accurate, Robinson and Shamet could become the first sacrifices of New York’s determination to avoid the NBA’s harshest financial penalties.
Knicks Insider Names 2 Casualties of James Dolan’s Warning