The New York Knicks spent much of the offseason trying to keep together the championship roster that delivered the franchise’s first NBA title in more than five decades.
According to Jalen Brunson, one of their biggest losses wasn’t by choice.
Speaking Saturday during the Nightcap live show at Fanatics Fest NYC, Brunson acknowledged that the NBA’s restrictive second salary cap apron prevented the Knicks from keeping veteran center Mitchell Robinson, offering the clearest public explanation yet for one of the organization’s most significant offseason departures.
“I think there are pros and cons to it,” Brunson said. “Obviously, because of the second apron, we had to lose Mitch, but I would obviously love to have him back. He was a big part of what we’ve been able to do.”
Brunson’s comments provide fresh context to Robinson’s exit after eight seasons in New York and appear to answer a lingering question the veteran center raised shortly after signing with the Boston Celtics in free agency.
Knicks Star’s Comments Explain Robinson’s Cryptic Message
When Robinson announced his departure from New York on July 2, he hinted there was more to the story than fans knew.
Responding to former teammate OG Anunoby’s comment on Instagram, Robinson wrote:
“I tried, brother. I didn’t want this to happen. Hopefully, the truth comes out at some point. I’m gonna miss you, big dawg! Keep being great 🖤,” Robinson wrote.
The remark immediately fueled speculation about what ultimately led to Robinson leaving the defending champions after spending his entire NBA career with the Knicks.
Brunson’s comments now appear to provide the clearest explanation yet.
While the Knicks held Robinson’s Bird rights and, in theory, could have exceeded the salary cap to re-sign him, doing so would have pushed the franchise above the NBA’s punitive second salary apron.
Crossing that threshold would have subjected the Knicks to some of the league’s harshest roster-building penalties. Teams above the second apron cannot aggregate salaries in trades, are limited in how they can match salaries, cannot send cash in deals and risk having future first-round draft picks frozen.
Brunson’s Admission Aligns With Knicks owner James Dolan’s Mandate
Brunson’s explanation also aligns with owner James Dolan’s public comments shortly after the Knicks captured the NBA championship.
Speaking on WFAN, Dolan made clear the organization intended to avoid crossing the second apron, even if it meant difficult roster decisions.
“If we could bring back the whole team, why wouldn’t you, but I don’t know we’re gonna be able,” Dolan said. “We’re willing to stretch, but there’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron. I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check that goes into the second apron.”
At the time, Dolan’s comments outlined the financial reality facing the defending champions.
Brunson’s acknowledgment that “because of the second apron, we had to lose Mitch” directly connects that organizational mandate to Robinson’s departure and offers the strongest indication yet that financial restrictions—not a desire to move on from the veteran center—ultimately shaped the outcome.
Brunson Says the Sacrifice Was Worth It
Despite losing Robinson, Brunson said he has no regrets about the sacrifices required to keep New York in championship contention.
“I do it all over again,” Brunson said.
“I sacrifice whatever. It was worth it.”
Brunson has already made one of the most significant financial sacrifices by a franchise player in recent NBA history.
Instead of waiting until free agency, when he would have been eligible to sign a five-year contract reportedly worth about $269 million, Brunson agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million extension with the Knicks during the summer of 2024.
By signing early, Brunson effectively left roughly $113 million on the table, providing the Knicks with additional financial flexibility to continue building around their All-NBA point guard, which ultimately led to the franchise’s first title in 53 years.
That flexibility helped New York complete separate blockbuster trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges while continuing to stay below the NBA’s restrictive second salary apron, albeit by a little margin, which cost them Robinson.
His comments on Saturday underscored that reality. Brunson’s willingness to sacrifice helped New York assemble a championship roster, but it wasn’t enough to keep every member of it together.
For Knicks fans, Brunson’s remarks may finally answer the question Robinson raised in his farewell message. Weeks after saying he hoped “the truth comes out at some point,” the Knicks’ franchise point guard publicly identified the second apron as the reason New York could not keep one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history.
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