The conundrum is easy enough to understand, even amid the complexities and frustrating math of the stupid luxury tax aprons.

The Knicks, bottom line, are hard-capped at about $207.8 million. The NBA and players union don’t want you to use “hard cap” since they’re trying to pretend it doesn’t exist in their CBA, but that’s the reality of the Knicks’ situation. They can’t spend a dollar over $207.8 million on salaries, at least not without <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/12/sports/clippers-owner-steve-ballmer-made-another-10m-investment-in-aspiration/">a tree-planting scam</a> and a shady uncle to circumvent the cap.

After spreading money to their 12 current guaranteed contracts, the Knicks are left with two roster spots to fill and the space to sign just one veteran minimum.

The only way to create necessary cap space to keep Shamet and Brogdon is via trade, with sources around the league believing it will happen.{ai:summary}<p>The Knicks are capped at about $207.8 million by the luxury-tax framework, effectively a hard cap despite the CBA’s wording.</p><p>With 12 guaranteed deals, they have two roster spots left and can sign only one veteran minimum, leaving a tight offseason math problem. #sports</p>

Assessing the potential roster cost of the Knicks adding Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet

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