New York's payroll checks in at $230.2 million, clear of the $200.4 million tax line and the $209.0 million first apron, and into $221.7 million second-apron territory. Two future top picks already belong to Brooklyn, and Karl-Anthony Towns holds a $61.0 million player option for 2027-28.
The Number
New York's payroll for this season runs $230.2 million. That figure clears the $200.4 million luxury-tax line, clears the $209.0 million first apron, and sits north of $221.7 million, second-apron territory, the hardest wall the league draws. Every dollar past that wall comes with restrictions on trades, salary aggregation and how the roster can be reshaped.
Five Big Deals
Karl-Anthony Towns leads the books at $57.1 million, with OG Anunoby at $42.5 million, Jalen Brunson at $37.7 million, Mikal Bridges at $33.5 million and Josh Hart at $20.9 million. Those five contracts are the whole reason the roster costs what it does.
Next Year's Bill
The number doesn't shrink in 2027-28. Towns can opt in at $61.0 million, Anunoby is set for $45.4 million, Brunson for $40.5 million and Bridges for $36.2 million, with Hart climbing to $22.4 million. Tyler Kolek's $2.5 million team option is the only real decision left in New York's hands.
Picks Already Spent
The draft capital is thin. Brooklyn holds New York's 2027 and 2029 top picks outright. The 2028 top pick and the 2029 second are swap rights, Detroit holds the 2028 second, and Atlanta holds the 2030 second. Only the 2027 second and the 2030 top pick are New York's alone.
What It Buys
None of this bends without cost. Every path to reinforcing this roster runs into $221.7 million territory, and with two top picks already gone to Brooklyn, New York can't easily trade its way to more talent. The championship core stays intact because ownership is paying for it to stay intact, not because there's another way.
Are the Knicks over the salary cap?
Yes. New York's $230.2 million payroll is well past the $165.0 million salary cap and the $200.4 million luxury-tax line, landing in second-apron territory at $221.7 million.
How many top picks do the Knicks still control?
Not many. Brooklyn owns New York's 2027 and 2029 top picks, Detroit and Atlanta each hold a future second, and only the 2030 top pick and the 2027 second remain fully New York's.
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