The Knicks carry $227.7 million in salary, well past the $200.4 million tax line, with Towns and McBride both unresigned past this season. The roster that won it all in June is still the roster that opens this one — the real test comes once the picks owed to Brooklyn start landing.
The Bill
New York's payroll sits at $227.7 million, above the league's second apron and nearly $27 million over the $200.4 million luxury tax line. Towns carries a $57.1 million cap hit, Anunoby $42.5 million, Brunson $37.7 million, Bridges $33.5 million and Hart $20.9 million. Five contracts eat almost the whole bill, and two of those five are still arguing their worth.
Towns Waits
Towns told ESPN on Oct. 5 he isn't expecting an extension soon, a day after the New York Post described his contract drama as a sign of a daunting new reality for the champions. Hoops Rumors called him frustrated by where the talks stand. Stephen A. Smith used ESPN airtime to question how Dolan's front office has handled the whole negotiation.
McBride's Turn
McBride admitted two days before Media Day that his own contract talks left him 'a little disappointed.' A Sept. 30 rumor grouped him with Towns, Hart, Randle and Rondo as an open question, same as it was six days earlier. Bruce Brown, signed on a non-guaranteed deal, told the New York Post he was 'very surprised to be fighting' a different kind of apron battle for his roster spot — the clearest reminder of how thin the margin is.
Preseason Noise
None of this showed up in the box score from the 120-97 loss at Philadelphia on Oct. 5, where Anunoby and Brunson each scored 12 and the starters looked unbothered. Washington visits tomorrow fresh off a 17-65 season and a 121.5 defensive rating a year ago, a soft landing spot before Minnesota and two meetings with Toronto close out the preseason slate. The actual opener, Oct. 20 against Philadelphia on NBC, is when any of this starts to matter.
Bottom Line
This year's roster is intact, extensions or not — nobody is walking out of Manhattan before the banner goes up. The real deadline is further out: the picks owed to Brooklyn in 2027 and 2029, the 2028 swap, and a bill that only grows if New York has to pay both Towns and McBride at once. The Knicks can win now and worry later. They cannot do both forever.
Will the Knicks trade Towns this season?
Nothing reported points to a trade; the dispute so far is about an extension, not a deal to move him, and he remains on the roster into the Oct. 20 opener.
Why are the Knicks over the luxury tax line?
New York's payroll is $227.7 million against a $200.4 million tax line, almost all of it locked into five contracts led by Towns, Anunoby, Brunson, Bridges and Hart.
More from The Garden Line
all Knicks news →
From the archives · Wed, Oct 7Fifty-Three Years Taught The Knicks Not To Waste This
Morning · Wed, Oct 7Knicks Stall On Business While Alvarado Nears Return
The big question · Sun, Oct 4The Bill Comes Due For New York's Champions
The big question · Thu, Oct 1Knicks Bet Everything On One More Run
The big question · Mon, Sep 28Knicks Chase A Repeat While Two Contracts Hang Fire
The big question · Mon, Sep 21The Bench Got Rebuilt. Nobody Knows If It's Better