Knicks have a Mitchell Robinson solution that James Dolan needs to hear

Mitchell Robinson appears likely to leave the New York Knicks amid owner James Dolan’s refusal to cross into the second apron. While there might be no coming back from this organizational mandate, somebody in the Leon Rose-led front office should explain to the human kazoo that just because you begin 2026-27 inside the second apron doesn’t mean you have to stay inside it.

Make no bones about it, this is an important distinction. Though Dolan is clearly concerned about footing a lavish luxury-tax bill, he seems most perturbed by the team-building stipulations to which second-apron squads are subject. 

Among other things, the list of restrictions includes the loss of the mid-level exception; the inability to aggregate salaries or take back more money than you send out in trades; and the freezing of your draft pick seven years into the future, which means it can’t be dealt unless and until you duck the second apron in three of the next four years.

This stuff matters. But navigating them for a season or two in the name of keeping a reigning champion intact should hardly be considered taboo. With that said, the draft-pick implications do not take effect until the following league year. This means the Knicks have until, basically, the 2027 NBA draft to exit the second apron, and avoid having their 2034 first-rounder roped off.

In theory, then, they could re-sign Robinson, enter the second apron, and then figure out how to—or whether they need to—duck it at the trade deadline, if not ahead of the 2027 draft. 

This is not the same as the Knicks delaying the inevitable

Re-signing Robinson with the intent to cut money later may come across as cognitively dissonant. Especially when the Knicks would still be subject to other second-apron restrictions.

Here’s the thing: Those restrictions don’t matter for the Knicks’ purposes. They probably won’t have access to the mini mid-level exception even if Robinson leaves. They also don’t have to worry about taking back more money in trades. Their core is set. If they need to make a major move, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. Making smaller trades within these parameters is fairly easy. The Knicks proved as much this season when they turned Guerschon Yabusele (and seconds) into Jose Alvarado.

Losing the ability to aggregate salaries could sting. At the same time, you can still combine multiple contracts in a trade if that deal gets you out of the second apron once it’s completed.

This is the loophole, so to speak, that somebody needs to make sure Dolan understands. The Knicks can start next season with Robinson on the payroll, and in the second apron. If it turns out they aren’t good enough, they can shed money at the deadline or after their season ends.

Heck, New York could even repeat as champions, and then still have time to skirt the second apron before the calendar resets, and its 2034 draft pick gets frozen. 

Everything depends on Mitchell Robinson’s market value

Granted, this strategy only works if the Knicks believe they can dump the necessary amount of cash. Offloading contracts is a lot harder at the deadline or before the calendar resets.

Still, if some of the early free-agency contracts are any indication, Robinson will not cost an arm and a leg. Paying him around $15 million in 2026-27 would put New York on track to be $7 million or so into the second apron. 

That difference isn’t hard to offset. It’s not like Robinson’s value will evaporate. Even if it does, the Knicks have plenty of second-round sweeteners to throw into any deal.

Yes, there is something icky about re-signing someone with the intention of moving them. But this is about buying the Knicks time. They would get an extra season out of this core (potentially sans Landry Shamet). 

Going this route also gives Dolan time to reconsider. Perhaps the Knicks are so good he changes his tune. He’d certainly think twice if they repeated as champs. 

Given how shrewd the Knicks’ front office is known to be, they’ve likely explained all of this to his Royal Kazooness. If they haven’t, they better remedy that posthaste. It could be the exact kind of compromise that keeps Robinson in orange and blue for a while longer.

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