The second apron era of the NBA is here and it’s forcing teams to make tough decisions. The Knicks are no stranger to difficult choices. This offseason, the club did not retain backup center Mitchell Robinson in free agency due to the second apron.
That problem won’t disappear anytime soon as New York has one of the most expensive teams in the NBA. Looming contract extensions for Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are on the horizon. A solution to the salary cap crunch is player development and the Knicks will need young players like Mohamed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet to grow into legitimate rotation players in the future.
Currently, Diawara and Dadiet are set to earn a combined $5.6 million for the 2026-27 season. So far, the development of both players has varied. A second-round pick in 2025, Diawara had some stints in New York’s rotation before being glued to the bench for the latter part of the season and the playoffs.
Overall, the 21-year old forward was a pleasant surprise. Diawara has a good feel for the game. His three-point shooting was much further along than expected, as he shot 36.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Knicks were impressed enough by the forward to re-sign him to a four-year, $11.2 million contract. He has the potential to be a three-and-D wing for the Knicks going forward.
Diawara did have a rough showing with New York’s Summer League team in July, but that hasn’t erased all the hints of a rotation player from his rookie campaign.
Dadiet has played just 247 total minutes in two seasons with the Knicks and hasn’t been able to earn any trust. At just 21 years old, Dadiet still has potential to evolve, but time is running out for New York to decide whether to keep him around long-term. The Knicks have two first-round picks over the next four years, so that is another way they could find cheap talent.
With 13 players on the roster, New York is currently $3.3 million away from the $221.7 million second apron. The Knicks will eventually have to sign a 14th player to the roster cutting into that already-thin wiggle room.
Future flexibility
Knicks owner James Dolan made it clear earlier in June that the Knicks will not be going into the second apron, which penalizes teams through various mechanisms. This includes not being allowed to aggregate salaries in a trade or having future first-round picks frozen.
Going forward, New York will be dealing with the second apron for the next few years. The Knicks’ starting lineup is particularly expensive, earning a combined $191.7 million during the 2026-27 season. It’s created a salary structure where no one on the bench makes more than $5.5 million next season.
Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are both extension eligible in 2027. Brunson’s future salary will be important to watch. The 2026 NBA Finals MVP will earn $37.7 million for 2026-27. After sacrificing some money by avoiding free agency, Brunson is sure to sign for a max contract in the future and could annually earn $60 million or more depending on when he signs a new contract.
To avoid the second apron in future years, New York might have to alter its starting lineup by dealing away a key starter like Hart or Mikal Bridges. That makes it even more important for Diawara and Dadiet to emerge.
Both players provide size on the perimeter, something New York’s current bench is lacking. Currently, New York’s reserve rotation will include 6-foot Jose Alvarado, 6-foot-2 Miles McBride and 6-foot-5 Landry Shamet.
After a short summer break, it’s very possible Knicks head coach Mike Brown opts to keep his starters fresh by limiting minutes and also giving stars like Brunson, Towns and Anunoby the occasional night off.
In that case there should be plenty of opportunities for Diawara and Dadiet to crack the rotation. But they will need to play well to help the Knicks compete for a championship next season. But their play could also dictate what the future makeup of the team will be years from now.
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