The Knicks may have celebrated a championship run, but the first real hit of the summer came fast: Mitchell Robinson is gone, and James Dolan is making it clear why.
Dolan told WFAN that any contract that climbs above the salary cap’s second apron is “basketball suicide,” a blunt assessment that helps explain the roster squeeze New York is dealing with. Robinson, the team’s longest-tenured player and, by the source’s description, arguably its best reserve during the 2025-26 regular season, appears to be one of the casualties of that math.
New York tried to patch the hole by signing Andre Drummond in free agency, with a specific eye on replacing Robinson’s work on the offensive glass. But the Knicks were never likely to find a clean one-for-one answer. Drummond should help, but the bar Robinson set is still hard to reach.
The bigger point for New York is that this isn’t only a Knicks problem. The second apron has spread its pain around the league, and the Denver Nuggets are the only team projected to open the season above it. Even the Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off their own title, have had to move on from three key role players this offseason.
Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins landed with the Atlanta Hawks, who were the only team to beat the Knicks more than once in the same 2026 playoff series. Isaiah Joe is headed to the Detroit Pistons, where he’ll shift from spacing the floor for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to doing the same for Cade Cunningham.
That’s part of why New York still belongs in the title conversation even after losing Robinson. The Knicks are worse on paper, but the East is fractured enough that the field remains open.
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to have problems defending and rebounding, even with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics may have trouble scoring without Brown.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t really make upgrades. Detroit added John Collins along with Joe, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris, but also lost Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart.
The conference is deeper than it was last season, but the talent is spread out rather than concentrated in a few heavyweight teams.
The second apron’s reach showed up again in a different form with Russell Westbrook. After the Los Angeles Lakers sold on Wednesday for a record in North American sports, Excel Basketball CEO Jeff Schwartz posted a sharp message on Twitter tied to the CBA.
“Incredible, the Lakers sell for $12B, yet teams won't spend on older vets because of current CBA rules. Thank you, Union,” Schwartz said, on the same day he wished longtime client Russell Westbrook farewell.
A few hours later, Westbrook, 37, retired. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the guard had offers from the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, but chose to walk away instead.
The Knicks reportedly had interest in Westbrook last offseason, though their more pressing concern now is filling out their center depth with the final roster spot. Still, his exit is another reminder that the second apron’s supposed balance comes with real costs - even for players who have been fan favorites for years.
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Sims availability gives New York a potential short-term answer at a position that remains unsettled, but the path to getting him is not especially complicated. A deal centered on Pacme Dadiet has been floated as the most realistic framework, which would make this less about a splash and more about whether the Knicks want to sacrifice a young asset for a stopgap center who already knows the organization. [Read more 🡒]