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These Numbers Explain Why New York Can't Rest

A $230.2M payroll, a 53-29 finish and a scoring stretch that still says more than the record does.

$230.2MThis season's payroll bill
By the Knicks Nightly Desk · Thursday, September 24

Six numbers frame where this roster stands before a single game counts. A payroll near the league's top, a net rating that ranked among the NBA's best last season, and a scoring stretch from Brunson all point the same way: this team is built to win now, on a clock it doesn't control.

$230.2M: This season's payroll bill

The Payroll

New York carries $230.2 million across 18 contracts, clear of the $200.4 million tax number by close to $30 million and into apron territory. Towns leads at $57.1 million, followed by Anunoby at $42.5 million, Brunson at $37.7 million, Bridges at $33.5 million and Hart at $20.9 million. That number buys continuity, not flexibility — there's no cheap fix waiting at the trade deadline.

Last Season's Net

New York finished 53-29 last season, third in the Eastern Conference, with a net rating of plus-6.4 that ranked fifth in the NBA. That's built on the league's third-best offense and a defense ranked seventh. It's also a number from a season that's already over. Nothing this year has been played yet.

Brunson's Surge

Brunson closed last season on a run: three straight 30-point games at a 37.7 average, and four 20-point outings off the bench in his last five games. Those are the numbers of a guard who can take a game over by himself. They say nothing about a wrist now listed day-to-day, with an estimated return of October 1.

Starters' Workload

New York's starting five averaged 34.9 minutes a game over its final five games last season, well above its season norm. That workload helped close out a championship. Whether Brown asks for it again over 82 games, with camp still sorting out the bench behind it, is a separate question.

Still 0-0

None of it counts yet. New York sits at 0-0, with preseason opening October 5 in Philadelphia and the regular-season opener October 20, hosting the 76ers at home. Every number above explains how this roster got here — not what it does from here.

Are the Knicks paying the tax this season?

Yes. Payroll sits at $230.2 million, above the $200.4 million tax number and over the apron.

What was the Knicks' net rating last season?

Plus-6.4, the fifth-best mark in the NBA, built on the league's third-ranked offense and seventh-ranked defense.

By the Knicks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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