New York Knicks’ owner James Dolan’s unwillingness to go into the NBA’s second apron will likely cost the champions a key rotational player.
Dolan made it clear in a recent interview that he will not entertain the Knicks’ salary cap potentially going into the second apron this offseason.
With their books already sitting at $205 million with nine under-contract players, and key free agents like Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet hitting the open market, it seems the franchise is already accepting that they’ll be losing one of the two.
Knicks might not be able to afford Mitchell Robinson’s extension
New York Post’s Stefan Bondy has confirmed that Robinson returning to the Knicks is ‘unlikely’ due to Dolan’s second-apron concerns.
“Heard it’s unlikely Mitchell Robinson will be back with the Knicks next season. He’s the longest tenured Knick but also an unrestricted free agent. Owner James Dolan said he’s unwilling to pay into second apron, so running it back with the bench is not feasible.”
Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks last season, averaging 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in the Playoffs, and 3.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in the Finals.
He played a limited but crucial role in a center tandem with Karl-Anthony Towns. Robinson has been with the franchise since 2018, but his time will likely end if he wants a contract above $10 million.
Teams like the Lakers are expected to be interested in Robinson in free agency.
The Knicks’ current cap situation
The Knicks realistically can offer Robinson a contract between $5 and $6 million, keeping in mind the second apron and the team needing to fill out their roster to 15 players. That seems too low for a valuable defensive center like Robinson, especially in the eyes of Western Conference teams.
After signing second-round picks Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel, the Knicks will add about $2.5 million to their salary bill, leaving them about $15 million under the second apron.
That $15 million will allow the Knicks to safely fill out three remaining roster slots while having some headroom for potential emergency in-season signings.
Fitting Robinson on a valuable extension seems impossible here, and it seems the franchise is also making their peace with it.
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