Mikal Bridges just left $6 million on the table whiling signing a four-year extension with the New York Knicks worth $150 million, a little shy of the possible maximum extension he could have grabbed. It looks like Bridges learned from watching his former Villanova teammate make a similar move last Summer. Jalen Brunson previously accepted a $100 million discount to give the team more wiggle room. Now Bridges is following that same playbook, and Knicks fans should be thrilled about it.
This isn’t just about one player being generous with his contract. Bridges’ decision keeps the Knicks safely under the second apron in luxury tax penalties. The team’s salary for the 2025-26 season sits at approximately $204.1 million. That puts them just under $4 million below the second apron threshold – close, but not too close for comfort.
What the Knicks front office pulled off here deserves serious credit. Six key players now remain locked up for at least the next two seasons. We’re about to break down exactly how Bridges’ contract positions the Knicks for sustained championship runs, and why this financial maneuvering could be the difference between competing and actually winning it all.
What is the Second Apron and Why It Matters
Here’s the deal with the second apron – it’s the NBA’s newest way to put the brakes on teams that want to spend like there’s no tomorrow. The league introduced this threshold in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and it started biting teams during the 2024 offseason. For the 2025-26 season, the second apron sits at approximately $207.80 million. That’s roughly $17.80 million higher than last year’s number. Cross that line, and your team faces some serious handcuffs when it comes to building your roster.
Think of it this way – the NFL has a hard salary cap that nobody can exceed. The NBA? It’s more like a speed limit that you can break if you’re willing to pay the fine through luxury tax penalties. The second apron just adds another speed trap with much steeper fines. Teams that blow past the second apron get hit with brutal restrictions. They lose access to the mid-level exception in free agency. Can’t aggregate player salaries in trades anymore. Those trade exceptions you’ve been saving? Gone. But wait, it gets worse. Teams can’t even send cash in trades. The real kicker though? Their first-round pick seven years out becomes frozen and untradeable.
That’s like the NBA putting your future draft capital in timeout. The long-term punishment is even nastier. Stay above the second apron for three years within any five-year stretch, and that frozen pick automatically drops to the end of the first round. Ouch. The Knicks’ smart contract moves, including Bridges taking less money, keep them out of this penalty box where front offices go to die.
How Mikal Bridges’ Contract Fits the Knicks’ Cap Strategy
Let’s break down the nuts and bolts of what Bridges actually signed. His four-year, $150 million extension includes a strategic $6 million discount from his maximum potential amount. This financial decision carries significant implications for the Knicks’ salary cap management.
The contract structure shows some serious thought went into it. Bridges gets a player option for 2029-30 and includes a trade kicker for additional protection. His average annual salary comes to $37.5 million. Right now, he’s earning a reasonable $23.30 million for the upcoming season.
Here’s where things look great for New York from a cap perspective.
The front office locked up their core through 2027-28. Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, and Hart form the foundation. Together, this starting lineup will earn over $150 million combined for the 2026-27 season. What stands out here is the culture shift. Bridges followed Brunson’s lead by prioritizing sustained competitiveness over maximum personal earnings. When your stars are willing to take less to keep the band together, you know something special is brewing in New York.
Next 3 years: New York Knicks
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 31, 2025
Most important line is the 2nd apron
The Jalen Brunson extension last year and now Mikal Bridges, has given New York flexibility to operate under both aprons. pic.twitter.com/4IfbFoPo13
Just to compare Mikal Bridges' contract to other wings in the NBA.
— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) July 31, 2025
Pretty good value when you take into account, durability, etc. pic.twitter.com/E6otHo1jq3
Championship Window is Now
To simply put it, the core is locked in. The Knicks now have four years of championship-level talent staying under contract, which is impressive considering the restrictions discussed earlier. Most contending teams get maybe two years before someone leaves for more money or a different situation. The financial picture gets even better moving forward. New York projects to stay approximately $18.6 million below the second apron in 2026-27. That gap widens to $31 million for 2027-28. This now presents its own opportunities to improve the roster. Mitchell Robinson could get re-signed next summer without breaking the budget. The front office keeps access to every team-building tool in their arsenal.
What Bridges and Brunson accomplished with their discounts help avoid second apron restrictions for three straight seasons. That’s the kind of sacrifice they make in hopes of yielding a championship. Both players chose sustained competitiveness over individual paydays, and the entire organization benefits. They’ve made the playoffs in four of five seasons under previous coaching, but this roster construction feels more sustainable than anything they’ve built before.
The Bigger Picture
Mikal Bridges leaving $6 million on the table isn’t just about one contract. This move signals something much bigger happening in New York – a culture shift that hasn’t been seen at Madison Square Garden in decades. Star players are actually choosing team success over individual paydays, which is pretty remarkable when you think about it. The ripple effects of this sacrifice go way beyond Bridges himself. Leon Rose has structured this Knicks roster to have the flexibility to make moves that other teams simply can’t.
If you look around, this is what separates good organizations from great ones, which is unfamiliar territory for Knicks fans. What Bridges and Brunson have done will have to become a blueprint for other contenders or those who leave millions on the table might succeed in the short term of the these new rules. The Knicks went from being the league’s punchline to having one of the most stable cores in basketball. That kind of sustainability attracts even more talent and creates a winning cycle. After decades of dysfunction, the Knicks finally look like they know what they’re doing. Bridges’ contract proves they’re not just talking about winning – they’re actually building for it.
Each one of the Knicks top six scorers last season (Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Miles McBride) are locked into guaranteed contracts thru at least 2027.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 31, 2025
It’s clear that chemistry and roster continuity are a priority in KnicksLand.
It’s worth noting that when Brunson injured his ankle late last season, we saw a different version of Bridges.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) August 1, 2025
Over a 12-game stretch in March, Mikal averaged 22.2 points, 5.2 assists and 1.7 threes, while shooting 55% from the field, 37% from deep and 92% from the FT line.
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