After the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years, immediately came talk of a potential repeat.
Bringing back such a deep and capable team to “run it back” certainly won’t be easy.
In an appearance on WFAN’s “The Carton Show” on Wednesday, Knicks owner James Dolan made one promise on how he will go about building his team going forward.
Owner James Dolan looks on during the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ NBA title-clinching Game 5 win over the Spurs at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio. Getty Images“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,” 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.”
The second apron is around $222 million, and the Knicks have some things to think about in terms of who might come back if they want to avoid the harsh roster-building penalties that come with breaking the threshold.
Eight players are under contract for next season, but there are three free agents — Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara — that they must make decisions on if they want to keep the same team next season.
Alongside the players under contract, the Knicks have the 24th pick in the NBA draft, and Jose Alvarado has a $4.5 million player option.
Mitchell Robinson (left) and Jalen Brunson celebrate after winning the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty ImagesShould the team have 10 guys on the books, and if they want to bring all three of their free agents back, it will be very difficult for them to remain under the second apron.
If Dolan is as committed as he sounds to remaining under the second apron, he and team president Leon Rose might struggle to fit all of his present players into the picture.
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One of the most important parts of this year’s squad was the bench, and keeping it the same in hopes of winning a second consecutive Larry O’Brien Trophy will cost the Knicks.
