New York opens camp at 0-0 with the group that won the title, carrying a $217.9 million payroll past the first apron, with just $3.8 million of room left before the second. Last season's numbers made the bill worth paying: a 118.7 offensive rating, a 6.4 net rating, and a 53-29 record that had the Knicks third in the East before they won it all.
Apron Math
New York's payroll sits at $217.9 million, past the first apron, with just $3.8 million of space left before the second apron kicks in at $221.7 million. Karl-Anthony Towns ($57.1 million), OG Anunoby ($42.5 million), Jalen Brunson ($37.7 million) and Mikal Bridges ($33.5 million) account for most of that number. The tax line itself sits at $200.4 million, so this roster was never cheap. What it means: the front office has almost no room to add players in season. What it doesn't prove: whether ownership pays even more once the bill actually lands.
Banner Math
Last season's group went 53-29, third in the East, before winning the 2026 title. That mark is why the front office kept this payroll intact instead of breaking up the roster. It proves the group can win; it says nothing about a season that hasn't tipped off, with the record sitting at 0-0.
Rating Split
The offense ran at a 118.7 rating last season, the clear engine behind the title. The defense sat at 112.3, middling next to it, for a net rating of 6.4 at a pace of 97.7 possessions. Those numbers explain why the shot-making up front did the heavy lifting. They don't say whether age or wear changes that balance this time.
Brunson's Line
Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 6.8 assists and 35.0 minutes across 74 games last season, shooting 36.9 percent from three. He's currently day-to-day with a wrist and arm injury on his left side, with an estimated return of Oct. 1. That timeline puts him back before the preseason opener Oct. 5 at Philadelphia.
Bottom Line
None of these numbers change until games count. New York is paying for a champion and rating out like one on paper. The only real test starts Oct. 20 against Philadelphia, when the record finally moves off 0-0.
Why does New York's payroll matter right now?
At $217.9 million, the Knicks sit past the first apron, with only $3.8 million of space before the second apron at $221.7 million kicks in.
When is Jalen Brunson expected back from his wrist injury?
He's day-to-day with a wrist and arm injury on his left side, with an estimated return of Oct. 1, ahead of New York's Oct. 5 preseason opener.
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