James Dolan pours cold water on Knicks keeping championship team intact

The goal for the New York Knicks this offseason should be doing whatever it takes to keep their NBA championship team intact as much as possible.

Visit extonnews.click for more information.

The Knicks are in pretty good shape overall for next season, as their starting five is under contract. However, key bench guys like Mitchell Robinson, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet are pending free agents, and Jose Alvarado has a player option.

While the hope has been that the Knicks will at least re-sign those guys, owner James Dolan made a comment that suggests they won’t be able to.

Dolan was a guest on WFAN in New York and made no promises about keeping the current team intact and said the Knicks would not go into the second apron to do so.

MORE: Jose Alvarado shares thoughts on Knicks White House visit

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to,” Dolan said of keeping the team together. “We’re willing to stretch, but there’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron.”

“Cannot go into the second apron,” he added. “I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”

In order for the Knicks to bring back all or even some of Shamet, Robinson, Alvarado (if he declines his option) and Clarkson, they would have to go into the second apron.

The problem with letting any one of those four walk is they were crucial pieces off the bench, both during the regular season and in the playoffs.

What is the second apron?

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the NBA logo between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

For more information on both the first and second aprons, we turn to Jeff Benson of Front Office Sports:

“The first apron is a spending threshold for team payroll,” Benson said. “If a team spends more than the amount agreed to in the league’s collective bargaining agreement ($195.9 million for 2025–26), it faces penalties, including a luxury tax and roster restrictions.

MORE: Mitchell Robinson will be at Knicks’ parade, just not in a float

“The second apron is an even higher spending threshold for team payroll ($207.8 million for 2025–26). If a team spends more than that, it faces all the penalties from the first apron and then some. These restrictions severely limit the types of transactions and roster moves the team can make,” Benson added.

One of the restrictions that comes from going into the second apron is the inability to use signing exceptions, which would inhibit New York from bringing in outside free agents.

We’ll see if Dolan and the Knicks can find a way to make it work, but right now it’s looking bleak when it comes to the Knicks keeping Robinson, Shamet, Clarkson and Alvarado.

Read full story at source