Knicks Have Tough Contract Questions Looming

Teams don't stumble into contention. Front offices usually either draft their way into a good team, which requires a long runway, or pay for their goods, necessitating deep pockets.

The New York Knicks usually fall into the latter category. They play in the biggest market in the league, and made numerous good value signings before dealing all of their former and future draft picks to go all in to trade for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. They could afford to roster all of their talented rotational players, at least for awhile.

As Bobby Marks points out, some of those new Knicks were up for trade for a reason. Both Bridges and Towns are due for hefty extensions sometime within the next year, and there isn't any room for New York to hold onto all of the players they value for long.

"While the Knicks won't exceed the second apron this year, that could change in 2026-27 if they want to keep their top seven players under contract," Marks wrote. "New York is $52 million below the second apron next season, a by-product of Jalen Brunson taking $12 million less in salary. That discount gives New York the room to sign Mikal Bridges to a four-year, $156.1 million extension.

"However, a new contract for Bridges that starts at $34.8 million could squeeze out Mitchell Robinson. Like Bridges, Robinson is eligible to sign up to a four-year extension and is a free agent if a new contract is not reached by June 30."

Robinson, a fan-favorite for his defense and rebounding, has been on the Knicks much longer than Bridges. Should the Knicks want to pay their newest starting forward and one of Jalen Brunson's college buddies, though, they'll have to make some tough choices in determining who they'd like to keep around for long if they want to avoid the deadly penalties of the second apron.