New York Knicks owner James Dolan is willing to write “as big a check as possible” to keep his championship roster intact this offseason … but only to a certain point. Dolan said he’s unwilling to put the team into the second apron despite its championship, according to ESPN.
Dolan made those comments during an appearance on WFAN in New York, directly saying, “We cannot go into the second apron.”
He repeated that sentiment multiple times during the appearance, calling the second apron “suicidal” and saying he “can’t write a check into the second apron.”
The second apron is a financial threshold that triggers harsh penalties for any team that exceeds it. Since the NBA operates with a soft cap, teams can exceed the salary cap. But doing so comes with penalties.
There are two aprons NBA teams can fall into if they exceed the cap. The first is appropriately called the first apron, and is for teams that slightly exceed the salary cap. The punishment for doing so involves restrictions on sign-and-trades, signing mid-level exception players and salary matching in deals.
If a team goes over that first limit, it enters the second apron. Teams in the second apron face even harsher penalties from the league. In addition to all the restrictions from the first apron, teams that reach the second apron cannot pick up mid-level exception players, lose the ability to trade their first-round pick for seven years and are not allowed to include cash in trades, among other restrictions.
Teams generally try hard to make sure they don’t wind up in the second apron. It was the reason the Boston Celtics offloaded both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis last offseason.
The Knicks came exceptionally close to exceeding the second apron last season, falling just $200,000 below that limit, per ESPN. That could make it extremely hard for the team to retain its entire championship roster this offseason and stay below the second apron.
If there’s good news for Knicks fans, the team’s starting lineup isn’t in danger of leaving. All five members of the starting lineup are under contract for next season.
If the Knicks are going to lose players, it will be rotational pieces. Players like Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet will hit the market. Jose Alvarado could too depending on whether he opts into his $4.5 million option.
While losing those players would be a blow, the Knicks should remain a highly-competitive team next season. Dolan said he was willing to “write as big a check as possible” to retain talent, so it will be up to team president Leon Rose to best prioritize how to spend that money without reaching the second apron.
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