Overview
- SNY reporting Tuesday said the Knicks are operating to stay below the NBA’s second apron, a payroll threshold that brings strict roster and transaction limits if crossed.
- Staying under that apron would leave New York with roughly $5–6 million in practical offer capacity for a role player, far short of the full $15.1 million midlevel exception Robinson is expected to attract on the open market.
- The team holds Robinson’s Bird rights, which normally let them exceed the salary cap to re-sign him, but the apron plan creates a financial constraint that makes a market-level offer unlikely unless he accepts a pay cut.
- ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported the Knicks have opened cursory talks with Robinson’s representatives, but no agreement exists and league interest has grown after his key defensive work and offensive rebound in the Finals.
- Robinson’s injury history and weak playoff free-throw shooting are factors teams will weigh during medical reviews, and losing him would force the Knicks to choose between cap flexibility and retaining a homegrown rotation piece.