New York enters the season $230.2 million deep into payroll, well past the $200.4 million tax line and the $221.7 million second apron. Towns' $61.0 million player option for 2027-28 looms as the next decision point, with two first-round picks already committed to Brooklyn.
Over The Line
New York carries $230.2 million in payroll across 18 contracts, past the $200.4 million luxury tax line and the $221.7 million second apron. The salary cap sits at $165.0 million, which shows how far this roster has drifted from any kind of flexibility. Every dollar spent from here comes with a tax bill attached.
The Big Five
Towns leads the books at $57.1 million, with Anunoby at $42.5 million, Brunson at $37.7 million, Bridges at $33.5 million, Hart rounding out the top five at $20.9 million. Those five deals alone eat most of the total, leaving minimum-level contracts to fill out the rest of the roster.
What's Unsettled
Towns holds a $61.0 million player option for 2027-28, the single largest number on next year's sheet. McBride's own extension talks remain open too, with no resolution yet. Kolek's $2.5 million team option for 2027-28 is the only other option on next year's sheet.
Picks Owed
The 2027 and 2029 first-round picks both belong to Brooklyn, with swaps attached in 2028 and 2029. New York keeps its 2027 and 2030 second-round picks, owes a 2028 second to Detroit and a 2030 second to Atlanta. Draft capital to pair with a trade is thin.
The Bottom Line
With payroll this deep past the second apron -- and the next two first-round picks already gone to Brooklyn -- the front office has bet on this exact roster winning now. Any further move almost certainly means matching money or spending one of the two swaps still in hand, from 2028 or 2029. The margin for error here is thin.
How much cap space do the Knicks have?
None. Payroll sits at $230.2 million, past the $221.7 million second apron, with the luxury tax line at $200.4 million and the salary cap at $165.0 million.
What happens to Karl-Anthony Towns' contract next season?
Towns holds a $61.0 million player option for 2027-28, giving him the call on whether to stay at that price or test the market.
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