New York's total payroll sits at $230.2M, above both the $209.0M and $221.7M penalty lines the NBA sets beyond its $200.4M tax threshold. Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges carry four of the five biggest contracts on the books, and every one of those numbers grows again next season.
Payroll Clears Every Line
New York carries a $230.2M payroll, above the top penalty line the NBA set at $221.7M for this season. That number also clears the $209.0M threshold below it and sits well past the $200.4M luxury tax mark. The salary cap itself starts at $165.0M, which shows how far this roster sits from anything resembling space.
Five Contracts, One Bill
Karl-Anthony Towns leads the book at $57.1M, with OG Anunoby at $42.5M, Jalen Brunson at $37.7M, Mikal Bridges at $33.5M and Josh Hart at $20.9M rounding out the top five. Everyone else on the roster works around those numbers just to fit under the bill New York has already run up.
Next Year Costs More
None of those numbers shrink in 2027-28. Towns can opt into $61.0M, Anunoby is set for $45.4M, Brunson for $40.5M, Bridges for $36.2M and Hart for $22.4M, with Landry Shamet, Pacôme Dadiet and Jose Alvarado all climbing too. Tyler Kolek carries a $2.5M team option and Mohamed Diawara is projected at $2.4M, the only modest figures on a sheet that only grows.
Picks Already Spoken For
The draft board offers little relief. Brooklyn holds New York's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, Detroit is owed the 2028 second and Atlanta the 2030 second, with the 2028 first and 2029 second tied up in swaps. Only the 2027 second and the 2030 first stay outright Knicks property.
Bottom Line
This is the bill for a champion. New York is paying full price to keep Towns, Anunoby, Brunson, Bridges and Hart together, and next season's numbers say that price only rises. Keeping this roster intact long-term means writing bigger checks, not smaller ones.
How far over the cap are the Knicks?
New York's payroll sits at $230.2M, above the $221.7M penalty threshold and the $200.4M luxury tax line, against a $165.0M salary cap.
Do the Knicks have many future draft picks?
Not many outright. Brooklyn holds New York's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, and the 2028 and 2030 seconds are owed to Detroit and Atlanta, leaving only the 2027 second and 2030 first as clean Knicks picks.
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