New York Knicks
2026-27 Cap Sheet • Eastern • Atlantic
About this cap sheet
Explore New York Knicks's contracts, future payroll, draft picks, cap holds, and exceptions. Salary, cap holds, and available spending exceptions are different measures; a team's payroll alone does not determine its available cap room. Cap holds explained · Data and methodology
Above First Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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Above First Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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Team Salary
$218.4M
132.4% of cap
+ $4.9M cap holds
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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$223.3M
Salary Cap
Salary Cap
Fundamentals
The maximum amount a team can spend on player salaries, set annually by the NBA based on Basketball Related Income (BRI). For 2025-26, the salary cap is $154,647,000. Unlike the NFL, the NBA's cap is a "soft cap" — teams can exceed it using various exceptions.
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$165.0M
Cap Space
Cap Space / Cap Room
Fundamentals
The difference between a team's current salary and the salary cap. Teams with cap space can sign free agents or absorb salary in trades without sending matching salary out.
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-$53.4M
w/ holds:
-$58.3M
Tax Line
Luxury Tax Line
Thresholds
The salary threshold above which teams must pay the luxury tax. Set at $187,895,000 for 2025-26. Separate from the salary cap — a team can be over the cap without paying tax.
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$201.0M
Tax Bill
Luxury Tax
Fundamentals
A dollar-for-dollar (or more) penalty paid by teams whose total salary exceeds the luxury tax line. For 2025-26, the tax line is $187,895,000. Tax rates increase with each bracket and are higher for repeat offenders.
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$34.3M
Roster
Roster Limits
Roster
NBA teams can carry up to 15 players on standard contracts plus up to 3 two-way contracts (18 total). The minimum is 14 on opening day and 13 during the season. If a team has fewer than 12 players, an incomplete roster charge is assessed for each missing spot.
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13/15
+0/3
Cap Position
Cap
Tax
1st
2nd
Cap
Salary Cap
Fundamentals
The maximum amount a team can spend on player salaries, set annually by the NBA based on Basketball Related Income (BRI). For 2025-26, the salary cap is $154,647,000. Unlike the NFL, the NBA's cap is a "soft cap" — teams can exceed it using various exceptions.
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$165.0M
Tax
Luxury Tax Line
Thresholds
The salary threshold above which teams must pay the luxury tax. Set at $187,895,000 for 2025-26. Separate from the salary cap — a team can be over the cap without paying tax.
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$201.0M
1st Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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$209.0M
2nd Apron
Second Apron
Thresholds
The second tax apron ($207,824,000 in 2025-26) imposes the strictest restrictions. Teams above it cannot: aggregate salaries in trades, send cash in trades, use any MLE, send players via sign-and-trade, or trade first-round picks 7 years out. Their distant first-round picks are also "frozen."
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$222.0M
Team $218.4M
w/ Holds
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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$223.3M
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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Season
Swipe salaries to change year. Contract totals include remaining option years, not cap holds.
| # | Player | Pos | Age | 26-27 | 27-28 | 28-29 | 29-30 | 30-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Karl-Anthony Towns
|
C | 30 | $57.1M | $61.0M PO | $57.8M | — | — |
| 2 |
OG Anunoby
|
SF | 29 | $42.5M | $45.4M | $48.4M PO | $49.5M | — |
| 3 |
Jalen Brunson
|
PG | 30 | $37.7M | $40.5M | $43.3M PO | $49.5M | — |
| 4 |
Mikal Bridges
|
SF | 30 | $33.5M | $36.2M | $38.8M | $41.5M PO | $49.5M |
| 5 |
Josh Hart
|
SG | 31 | $20.9M | $22.4M TO | $33.6M | — | — |
| 6 |
Landry Shamet
|
SG | 29 | $5.5M | $5.7M | $6.2M | $65.9M PO NG | $49.5M |
| 7 |
Jose Alvarado
|
PG | 28 | $4.4M | $4.8M | $5.2M NG | $9.8M | — |
| 8 |
Miles McBride
|
PG | 26 | $4.0M | $7.5M | — | — | — |
| 9 |
Pacome Dadiet
|
SF | 21 | $3.0M | $5.4M TO | $16.1M | — | — |
| 10 |
Mohamed Diawara
|
PF | 21 | $2.6M | $2.8M | $2.9M NG | $3.0M TO NG | $5.7M |
| 11 |
P.J. Tucker
|
SF | 41 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 12 |
Jordan Clarkson
|
SG | 34 | $2.4M NG | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 13 |
Andre Drummond
|
C | 33 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 14 |
Kevin McCullar Jr.
|
SG | 25 | $2.4M | — | — | — | — |
| 15 |
Tyler Kolek
|
PG | 25 | $2.3M | $2.5M TO | $4.7M | — | — |
| Total | $218.4M ($223.3M) | $226.7M ($239.1M) | $144.7M ($256.9M) | $110.4M ($219.2M) | $0 ($104.7M) | |||
| Cap Space | -$58.3M | -$57.6M | -$57.2M | $405K | $136.8M | |||
| 1st Apron Space | -$9.4M | $3.2M | $108.2M | $167.8M | $306.0M | |||
| 2nd Apron Space | $3.6M | $17.5M | $123.9M | $185.1M | $325.0M |
Legend:
Regular = under contract • Orange
=
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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• Blue
= projected/edited • Struck
= option declined • PO
Player Opt • TO
Team Opt • ETO
Early Term • NG
= non-guaranteed •
Cap projections assume ~10% annual growth