2026 Giants and NFL Preview

The John Harbaugh era is about to begin. No more test runs around the block; no more pep talks about how things are going to be different around here. Giants fans have heard it all before anyway. To borrow an old, if familiar, saying: this is where the rubber meets the road. From here on out, results are all that matter.

If 2025 taught this team anything, it's that it isn't how well you start the game that counts; it's how well you finish it. Five times last season the Giants lost a game in which they held a double digit lead. The most egregious of those losses came against the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium in October. The Jints were up 19 points going into the fourth quarter but lost on a last-second field goal. That loss ostensibly ended yet another season that started out with so much hope.

John Mara did something even his father would never have contemplated. He not only hired a new head coach, he vested in him co-authority to run the organization as he saw fit. In the 101 years since the franchise was founded, no head coach has ever had that much power. But desperate times call for desperate measures. 

From the beginning, Harbaugh put his stamp on this team. He finally pulled the plug on Graham Gano; traded holdout Dexter Lawrence for a first rounder; and set out to address needs on the roster. His decision to draft an offensive lineman with the pick he got from the Bengals underscored the latter.

In a departure from previous coaching regimes, Harbaugh's practices were tough and demanding. It was clear he was looking to build up the team's stamina; something that was sadly lacking late in games last season. Not coincidentally, the Giants defense allowed a total of 84 second-half yards over their last two preseason games against the Dolphins and the Jets. 

But that's the preseason. What about the regular season? After all, the Giants went 3-0 last preseason and look where it got 'em.

Two years in a row I predicted a 7-10 record, and two years in a row, I was rudely awakened, as the Giants finished 3-14 and 4-13 respectively. To say that this is an organization that historically has not earned the benefit of the doubt would be putting it mildly. 

That being said, there are reasons to believe this team will be better this season. For one thing, they have depth on the O-line and the front seven. If Bill Parcels was correct in saying that the game is won at the line of scrimmage, Harbaugh has done a good job beefing up both sides of it.

They also have their quarterback. Though Jaxson Dart played only one possession during the preseason - going 3-4 for 26 yards and a TD - he had by all accounts an outstanding rookie season last year. If Malik Nabers is healthy, and if Odell Beckham, Jr. can rediscover the magic that made him one of the NFL's elite receivers, the Giants will have one of the best one-two punches in the league. With veteran recover Darius Slayton and tight end Isaiah Likely, Dart should have plenty of weapons at his disposal.

In the backfield, the Giants have plenty of depth, as well. Joining Tyrone Tracey and Cam Skattebo are Devin Singletary and Najee Harris; the latter a free agent pickup from the Steelers, who before he got injured last season, ran for over a thousand yards four years in a row. 

If there is one major area of concern it remains the secondary. The fact that Deonte Banks survived the final cut this weekend speaks more to the lack of options at the position than it does Harbaugh's belief in his player. Dennard Wilson is going to have his hands full keeping opposing offenses from exploiting that weakness. The onus will be on the front seven to pressure the quarterback. Indeed, the entire season may come down to whether or not they are successful.

Last season, New York had the toughest strength of schedule of any team in the NFL. Going into 2026, it has the 17th toughest schedule. So if the Giants struggle this season, it won't be because of the quality of their opponents; it'll be because they suck. And I don't think they will suck.

But while I am cautiously optimistic, I would put the brakes on any talk of a postseason berth. The NFC West and North are the top two divisions in all of football. It's quite conceivable that you could have five playoff teams coming from those divisions. Even if the Giants wind up with a winning record, they will have a difficult time beating out teams like the Seahawks, 49ers, Packers and Lions.

If we're being realistic, the goal in Harbaugh's first year should be for the Giants to be playing meaningful football in December.  An 8-9 record would accomplish that goal, and is very doable given their schedule. Anything more would be a nice bonus; anything less would be a major disappointment. 

Below are my predictions for the 2026 NFL standings and postseason.

NFC East:

Eagles

Cowboys

Giants

Commanders

NFC North:

Bears

Packers

Lions

Vikings

NFC South:

Buccaneers

Saints

Falcons

Panthers 

NFC West:

Rams *

Seahawks

49ers

Cardinals

AFC East:

Patriots

Bills

Dolphins

Jets

AFC North:

Ravens *

Bengals

Steelers

Browns

AFC South:

Texans

Jaguars

Colts

Titans

AFC West:

Broncos

Chargers

Chiefs

Raiders

* Number one seed

NFC Wild Cards:

Seahawks 

Packers

Lions

AFC Wild Cards:

Bengals

Bills

Chargers

NFC Championship game: 

Rams over the Eagles

AFC Championship game: 

Bengals over the Patriots

Super Bowl:

Rams over the Bengals

Leftovers

Now that the dog days of summer are upon us, and the Mets are just about out of it, I thought I'd do a montage of various stories that on their own probably wouldn't merit a dedicated piece. Barring something truly newsworthy, such as Steve Cohen firing David Stearns, this will likely be the last piece I write until August.

So here goes,

The ESPY Awards. It was gratifying to see the Knicks finally get the respect they deserve, even if it was at an awards ceremony that was held in New York. They won in every category they were nominated for, including best male athlete: Jalen Brunson; best championship performance: Jalen Brunson; best NBA player: Jalen Brunson; best play of the year: O.G. Anunoby; and best team: Knicks. 

However, there was one category that was missing from the festivities: best executive. Had there been an award for that, it would've undoubtedly gone to Leon Rose. Think about it: before this year, the last local-area team to win a championship was the Giants in 2011. That was 15 years ago. For a city that Frank Sinatra once said never slept, and has a total of nine sports franchises, 15 years is a VERY long time. Maybe if those franchises had someone like Rose running them, their fans might've had a few more championships to celebrate.

Jaxson Dart and Trump. I stayed away from this because of the toxic nature of the subject. That being said, I do think it was a mistake for Dart to attend a Trump rally. Not because he isn't entitled to his opinion, but because as a leader on this team, he has an obligation to every player in the locker room; some of whom may not have voted for the current president. The last thing this quarterback needs going into his second year as a pro is to become a lightning rod. Going forward, it would behoove him, and frankly all athletes, to stay out of the political arena. That goes for athletes who endorse Democrats. Stick to the Xs and Os. In the end, the only thing fans care about is the result on the field, court or rink.

The Leo Carlsson offer sheet. I'm just gonna come right out and say it. This is the worst thing that could've happened to the NHL. Anyone who thinks this is good for hockey doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. $18 million per year for a player coming off an entry level contract is absurd. I don't care if he turns out to be the next Nathan MacKinnon, he's only played three seasons and has yet to average a point a game. If Carlsson is worth $18 million, what's Connor McDavid worth, $30 million? This will have ripple effects throughout the NHL, trust me.

Pat Verbeek and Steve Yzerman. If you think Chris Drury's tenure in New York has been a disaster, just consider that Verbeek or Yzerman could've been running the show. It was Verbeek who botched the Carlsson negotiations. Instead of re-signing him for $15 million a year, he chose instead to play hardball. And it was Yzerman, who in seven seasons with the Red Wings, never once made the playoffs. Yes, Rangers fans, it sucks to admit it, but Drury isn't the worst GM in the league, after all.

Wemby signs for less than the max. Following in the footsteps of Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama left roughly $50 million on the table when he signed his extension with San Antonio. The move gives the Spurs the financial flexibility they need to build a championship roster around the 7-5 center. Some will not understand this, but with the second apron likely here to stay, cap management will be essential for teams looking to win a championship. The Knicks would never have ended their 53-year drought had Brunson not left $113 million on the table. Think about this: at no point was Tom Brady ever the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. But he was smart enough to know that it takes a team to win a Super Bowl. Here's to smart athletes who get that.

Philly fans boo Jordan Walker. For the record, I've never had much use for all star games. I've also never had much use for Philadelphia sports fans. So when Philly fans booed Jordan Walker for winning the home run derby I couldn't resist. Seriously, this is a fan base that can't show up to support its own teams in the playoffs and they boo a fucking home run derby winner? Predictably pitiful.

Daylight Savings Time now yearlong. Whether or not you thought this was a good idea - frankly, I was ambivalent - there's one unintended consequence. NHL games played in Canada will air one hour later in the U.S. That means when the Rangers play the Maple Leafs in Toronto, the game will start at 8:00 PM in New York instead of 7:00. Now you'll have to stay up an extra hour just to watch the Blueshirts lose.

Lindor on the move? Late Thursday, it was learned that the Mets have informed teams that everyone but Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing and Christian Scott are available. Conspicuously absent from that list was Francisco Lindor. The fact that Stearns is willing to include him in a fire sale, is a sign that both he and Cohen believe that, despite spending $371 million on payroll, this team is a train wreck. I guess that's progress. They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.

Participation trophies. If there's one thing I can't stand it's sports personalities who humiliate themselves on national TV. ESPN's Vincent Goodwill apparently misses the good-old days when the NBA boasted dynasties like the Warriors, Spurs, Bulls, Lakers and Celtics. So rather than just admit that parity is a fact of life and here to stay, he belittled the last eight champions by saying they won a participation trophy. Imagine confusing the Larry O'Brien trophy with something you give to kids to make them feel better about losing a soccer match. That's a special kind of stupid.

LeBron James. For the second time since he turned pro, "King James" is making everyone wait while he decides who his next team will be. I might be the only basketball fan in America who truly doesn't give a shit where he plays next season, so long as it's NOT the Knicks. At this point in his career, he's the third option on any team he signs with. His days of being a top five player are over.

Braden Schneider re-signs for $5.5 million. Maybe it's me, but I'd much rather have Will Borgen at $4.1 million than Schneider at $5.5 million. Both defensemen were bad last season, but with Borgen, Drury would've had an extra $1.4 million to address other needs on the team.

Meet the Mess

78-112.

That is the New York Mets won-loss record since June 13 of last year. How bad is that? Only three teams in the majors have a worse record: the Anaheim Angels (77-115) and the Colorado Rockies (69-123). It's hard to believe that only 13 months ago, the Mets were solidly in first place in the National League East with a record of 45-24.

I've heard of free falls but this one takes the cake.

Adding insult to injury, the Mets have the second highest payroll in all of baseball at $376 million. Imagine paying all that money for a team like this. That's like going to a fine restaurant and getting served a whopper value meal.

That David Stearns still has a job is the biggest mystery in all of sports. He took a team that was two wins away from the World Series in 2024, and systematically dismantled it. And the players he brought in have been utterly dreadful. The pitching still sucks, the offense has been offensive, and the defense, as we saw clearly yesterday, is terrible. Meanwhile, Pete Alonso, the guy the Mets couldn't wait to get rid of, is hitting .252 with 21 home runs, 65 runs batted in, an OPS of .820 and only two errors. If this is what Stearns meant when he said he would address the run prevention, he has a sick sense of humor. 

At this point, there are maybe five players on this roster that are worth keeping: Juan Soto (who, despite missing a month on the DL, is second in the National League with a .967 OPS), A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Nolan McLean and Luke Weaver. That's it. Every one else can pack their bags, as far as I'm concerned. 

And that would include Francisco Lindor. It was Lindor's error with one out in the top of the 9th that allowed the Boston Red Sox to tie the game and eventually win it in the 10th. In 40 games and 153 at bats this season, Lindor is hitting .216 with 5 HRs and 12 RBIs. I wish that were a misprint, but sadly it isn't. And this guy was bucking to become captain?

If George Steinbrenner were the owner of this team, everyone including the ball boy would've bene fired by now. Unfortunately, Steve Cohen is the owner; the very same owner who, when he bought the franchise six years ago, said he would be "slightly disappointed" if the Mets didn't win a World Series in his first three to five years of ownership.

Well, I got news for ya, Steve-O: the fans are more than "slightly disappointed." They're downright pissed. Since 1986, they've waited patiently for another championship. Year after year, they show up at CitiField hoping against hope that their loyalty will be rewarded. Instead, they get their hearts broken. The only other local-area team to treat its fans worse than the Mets are the Jets. And they haven't won a Super Bowl since 1969.

That's a small consolation for the Flushing Faithful, and it is no excuse for Cohen, who is, arguably, the richest owner in baseball. The man should be outraged at what's going on here. But rather than hold his people accountable, he makes excuses for the poor play on the field and the gross incompetence in the front office. There's being patient and then there's being obstinate.

The Mets should have a sign outside of CitiField that reads: "Clearance sale, everything must go. No reasonable offer refused." I don't give a shit if Lindor has a no-trade clause or not. Brandon Nimmo had a no-trade clause and he was moved. If there's one thing New York sports fans know all too well, it's that anyone can be traded. Even if Cohen has to eat part of Lindor's contract, it's better than watching him embarrass himself game after game. If it's true that he and Soto don't get along, all the more reason to get him off the roster. 

It's time to face reality: the Mets are a mess. They are dead last in the NL East; only the Rockies are keeping them out of the league cellar. The trade deadline is August 3. To borrow a line from the movie Trading Places, it's time to sell, sell, sell!

In Leon We Trust

When Leon Rose decided to move on from Tom Thibodeau last June, he had no replacement for him. He attempted to interview several candidates, including Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, but was denied permission each time. Critics jumped all over him. How could he fire the franchise's most successful head coach since Jeff Van Gundy and not have a successor lined up?

One month later, Rose finally found his man; a coach that had been fired four times in his career, twice by the same organization. Again, his critics pounced. Well, we all know what happened. Mike Brown, in his first season, lead the Knicks to their first title since 1973. So much for not having a Plan B.

When the Boston Celtics signed Mitchell Robinson to a three-year contract at $15.6 million per on the first day of free agency, the critics in the cheap seats were at it again. How could Rose let this happen? Why couldn't the Knicks just go over the second apron to re-sign him? Once again, no Plan B.

It took Rose less than three days to find Robinson's replacement. Like Mike Brown a year ago, Andre Drummond was not his first choice. According to Chris Haynes, Rose had his sites set on Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans, but was rejected "multiple times." Apparently, they view him as a "vital core" player. I wasn't aware that a 26 win team had vital core players.

But regardless of whether Drummond was Rose's first choice or his fourth, the point is he was the best option out there. And if we're being honest with ourselves, the slash line between the two men is very close. How close? Take a look see:

Robinson: 60 GP / 19.6 MP / 5.7 PPG / 8.8 TRB / 1.2 Blk / 0.9 AST / 41 FT% / $15.6m 

Drummond: 63 GP / 19.5 MP / 6.4 PPG / 8.4 TRB / 0.8 Blk / 1.3 AST / 63 FT% / $2.45m

You tell me, if you were Leon Rose, which player would you have signed? If you still prefer Robinson, I seriously don't know what slash line you're looking at. Drummond isn't just the better value; he's the better player. One thing's for certain: the Knicks won't have to worry about "Hack-a-Mitch" anymore. And with the money Rose saved by signing Drummond, he can now re-sign Jordan Clarkson and maybe even sign Kevon Looney. Along with Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Deuce McBride, the Knicks, for the second season in a row, will have the deepest bench in the NBA. How's that for a Plan B?

You don't run an organization with your heart, you run it with your head. Even if James Dolan had been willing to go over the second apron, Rose would've been a fool to do so, especially for a player who doesn't play back-to-back games, can't hit free throws, and in the postseason, allowed Onyeka Okongwu, Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Victor Wembanyama to shoot 57 percent against him. You don't pay someone like that $15.6 million; you thank him for his service and send him on his way. If anything, the Celtics did the Knicks a huge favor. 

That's the way Rose has rolled ever since he arrived in New York six years ago. His critics don't always understand him; the media doesn't always understand him; sometimes his own players don't always understand him. It may seem at times like he's flying by the seat of his pants, but the fact is he never does anything without having a plan A, B, C or D ready to go.

Leon Rose is the principal reason why the Knicks won the NBA championship this past season, and he's the principal reason why they should be considered the favorites to repeat going into this season. Yes, I realize Jalen Brunson carried them on his back, especially in game five of the finals, but it was Rose who brought Brunson to New York and it was Rose who gave him the supporting cast he needed to complete the job.

The man knows what he's doing. Leave him alone and let him cook. 

Drury's Last Stand?

If there were any doubts about whether the New York Rangers were rebuilding or retooling, they were  thoroughly put to rest yesterday. On the first day of free agency, Chris Drury sent a very loud and clear message to the fanbase: this is a retool.

Coming off arguably his best draft since he was hired, Drury went to work immediately. At first, it looked like a typical free agency day for Drury; nothing spectacular. And then it got real interesting. In all, Drury made nine transactions. Here they are in order: 

1. He acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalao from the Boston Bruins for forward Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 4th round pick. The Ottawa Senators retained $1 million of Korpisalao's $4 million salary as part of an earlier trade with the Bruins.

2. He then signed Joseph Valeno to a one year $1.2 million contract that he can unload at the trade deadline if it doesn't work out.

3. Next up, he signed Oliver Bjorkstrand to another one year contract at $4.5 million. 

4 & 5.. To replenish Hartford, he signed career AHLers Marc Del Gaizo and Glenn Gawdin to two-year, two-way contracts worth $875k AAV a piece. 

Then came the two blockbusters:

6. Drury traded Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth for Utah's 2024 1st round pick Cole Beaudoin, a conditional 2027 3rd rounder and defenseman Sean Durzi. Beaudoin was the high draft pick Drury was after, and Durzi is a right-handed defenseman who had an excellent season for Utah last year.

7. Drury then traded a 2030 top 10 protected first round pick for defenseman Marcus Pettersson. Pettersson played for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh years ago, and I have no doubt that factored into Drury's decision to acquire him. This trade was actually announced before the Trocheck deal but took longer to finalize because Pettersson has a no move clause. 

8. Next up, in what can only be described as a textbook example of addition by subtraction, Drury traded Will Borgen to the Bruins for a 2027 2nd round pick and a conditional 2028 3rd rounder. A used puck bag would've sufficed, so give Drury high marks for finding someone willing to take Borgen and his $4.1 million cap hit off his hands.

9. Rounding out the transactions, this morning, Drury signed Dennis Cholowski, another career AHLer, to a two-year, two-way contract. 

Overall, I'd give him a B+. He unloaded Borgen, improved his defensive pairings, but weakened his center depth. In Pettersson, he acquired a player who's 30 years old and still has five years left on his contract. Like the J.T. Miller trade he made in 2025, this has the potential of blowing up in Drury's face.

Look, are the Rangers better now than they were before the Draft? Yes. Have they improved themselves enough to make the playoffs? Maybe.

But here's my concern. Let's say the Rangers sneak in as a wild card this season. Let's be optimistic and say they upset the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Then what? Does anybody seriously believe this team can win the Stanley Cup? Me neither.

And that brings me to the sixty-four thousand dollar question. What's the plan? Is this the start of another three-year window followed by consecutive seasons without making the playoffs? How many more times do we have to ride this sick roller coaster? I was 33 the last time this franchise won the Stanley Cup. I was hoping to see one more before I die.

That's the biggest problem I have with Drury. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. Name one time when he didn't take a short cut. From the moment he got the job, he's seemed more interested in keeping it than doing the hard work required to win a championship. Case in point: J.T. Miller. Rather than admit he made a mistake and buy out his contract, he's determined to keep him, no matter how badly his skills have deteriorated. The signing of Bjorkstrand is another case in point. Yes, he's a good player, but at this stage of his career he's basically a bottom six forward. How much you wanna bet Sullivan puts him on the second line, thus taking a spot away from a younger player?

Take a good look at the job Leon Rose has done with the Knicks. In six years he transformed one of the worst franchises in professional sports into NBA champions. And he did that without taking a single short cut; by making the tough decisions that needed to be made; and by thinking long term instead of short term. All while working for the same boss Drury reports to: James Dolan. Don't tell me you can't succeed with a demanding owner.

There's a reason why the Rangers have won only one Stanley Cup since World War II. They just haven't been good enough to win another. With Chris Drury at the helm, that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Drury Goes 4 for 4 on Draft Night

As you might've surmised, I haven't been writing much about the Rangers lately. In fact, this is only my third piece on them since Thanksgiving. You can hardly blame me, what with the Knicks having their best season in over five decades.

It's been a rough couple of years for Chris Drury. From the heights of winning the President's trophy to the depths of consecutive seasons without making the playoffs, he's earned every bit of grief that's come his way. But as critical as I've been of him, I do believe in giving credit where credit is due. 

Going into the 2026 NHL Draft, the pressure on Drury was enormous. He had two picks in the first round: the 5th and 26th; he had a center he was looking to unload; another center he had his eye on; a boatload of cap space with a shopping list; and a fanbase that was growing increasingly frustrated at the constant failures and the tired excuses. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting much.

How wrong I was. Maybe it was the carryover effect from Leon Rose, but Drury had one his best nights of his tenure as President and GM. 

It began with a bombshell trade: The Rangers acquired the rights to Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 26th and 92nd picks in this year's draft and a top 10 protected first rounder in 2028. Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in goals scored the last two season with 37 and 35 respectively, but he was an RFA and Vegas didn't have the cap space to re-sign him. That Drury was able to land him without giving up the better of his two first round picks was quite a feather in his cap.

The night was just getting started, however. With the 5th pick, he chose Alberts Smits, a burly left-handed defenseman who, at the age young age of 18, played for Team Latvia in the Olympics. Though fans were hoping for Carsons Carels and Chase Reid - both of whom have higher ceilings - Drury went with the player a majority of scouts say is NHL ready. I would not be at all surprised if he plays opening night on the second pairing.

But you know the old saying: the best trades are the ones you don't make. The day before the draft, Frank Seravalli tweeted that the Rangers were one of two teams that were in negotiation with the Anaheim Ducks for the services of Mason McTavish. It's no secret that McTavish had been on Drury's radar for quite some time. If history was any indicator, most of us were fearing the worst. The Rangers were about to overpay for a good, but hardly elite, center. When news broke that the Ducks had traded McTavish to the St. Louis Blues for two first round picks, the sighs of relief could be heard from 8th Avenue to the Van Wyck.

Last but not least, there's Vincent Trocheck. Drury has been looking to move the second-line center since before the trade deadline, but his asking price has been a first round pick and a high-level prospect. When he didn't get what he was looking for, rather than sell low, he opted to keep him and wait until the Draft to try again. Like the McTavish situation, the fear was that Drury would panic, but damn if he didn't surprise us again. I said it back in March, and I'll say it agin: it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Trocheck was still on the roster next season. At $5.6 million, he has a very manageable cap hit, and he's still capable of putting up 60 points. There's no need to move him just for the sake of moving him. Drury undoubtedly feels the same way. Good for him.

Well, what'd ya know? Four opportunities to do the right thing and Drury went four for four. Can dogs and cats sleeping together be far behind. I haven't said this in a while, but well done.

Now before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's important to keep in mind that even with the addition of Dorofeyev this is still not a playoff team. Whether Drury trades Trocheck or not, we still don't know how good Gabe Perrault is; or whether Alexis Lafreniere's last 20 games of the regular season was the real deal or just a mirage; or whether JT Miller has anything left in the tank; or whether anyone other than Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov can play defense.

If this is indeed a retool, it's far from complete. There's still a lot more work that needs to be done. The good news is that after locking up Dorofeyev to a 7 year x $11 million AAV contract, Drury has $15 million in available cap space to work with; the most he's had since he was hired in 2021. 

If he's smart, he'll put it to good use. 

Second Aprons for Dummies

Far be it from me to defend James Dolan. Since he assumed ownership of the Knicks and Rangers in 1999, both franchises have basically spun their wheels. The Rangers missed the playoffs 12 out of 27 seasons; the Knicks, until the arrival of Leon Rose, made the playoffs three times from 2001 to 2020. Indeed, the best decision Dolan ever made in his entire life was to hire Rose to run the Knicks organization. Trust me, it's easy to despise this man.

But the flack he's taking over his comments on WFAN that the Knicks would not go over the second apron is undeserved and totally uncalled for. First off, I doubt if Dolan even knows what an apron is; if you think he does, you're giving him way too much credit. Remember, this was the same guy who thought Phil Jackson and Isaiah Thomas were capable of running his team when even a neophyte could tell they were in over their heads. Everything he knows about basketball could probably fit on the back of a fortune cookie.

No, the decision to stay under the second apron came from Rose, and not because he was worried about the extra money his boss might have to dole out. The man shits money the way a sugar addict downs jelly beans. The fact is there are profound ramifications for going over the second apron. Before I list what they are, a brief history is in order.

The apron system was enacted in July of 2023 and went into effect in the '24 offseason. There are two aprons: the first and the second. The first apron acts as a sort of luxury tax trigger. While there are some penalties, they are not too severe. Most teams in the NBA have, at one time or another, gone over it. 

The second apron, however, is where the shit hits the fan. It's the league's way of saying you fucked up and now there's a price to be paid. These are the penalties for going over the second apron:

1. No salary aggregation. That means teams cannot combine salaries in order to acquire a player. In other words, no two for ones.

2. No sign and trades. Pretty much self explanatory. 

3. No cash in trades. Teams are prohibited from including cash in any trade.

4. No mid-level exceptions. Teams can only sign free agents to minimum contracts.

5. No buy-out signings. This applies to players who made more than the mid-level exception in their previous salary.

6. Frozen draft picks. First round picks that are seven years out cannot be traded.

Basically, teams that go into the second apron can only do the following things: 1. sign their own draft picks; 2. sign their own free agents; and 3. sign other teams free agents to minimum contracts. That's it. 

Over the last three seasons, seven teams have gone over the second apron: the Boston Celtics (2024-25); the Phoenix Suns (2024-25 & 2025-26); the Minnesota Timberwolves (2024-25); the Milwaukee Bucks (2024-25); the Cleveland Cavaliers (2025-26); the Golden State Warriors (2023-24 transition phase); and the Los Angeles Clippers (2023-24 transition phase). Of those teams, only the Cavs are still over the second apron, though the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently flirting with it.

Why have so few teams gone over the second apron? Because it's the closest thing to purgatory on Earth for a sports franchise, that's why. Leon Rose has come close twice, but resisted crossing that threshold both times. There's no indication that the third time will be any different. Just the opposite, in fact. During the NBA draft, Rose traded his first round pick for five second round picks, then traded back in the second round. Those are not the moves of a man who plans on going over the second apron; they are the moves of a man who is doing everything humanly possible to stay under it.

Throughout his tenure as President and GM of the Knicks, Rose has had pretty much free reign to run the basketball operations as he sees fit, and Dolan, for his part, has gone along with it. Anybody who thinks that the decision to stay under the second apron was driven by money hasn't been paying attention. Rose knows more about the nuances of cap management and salary negotiations than anyone in the sport. He should; he was one of the most successful agents before coming to New York. The last thing he would do is box himself in; which is what going over the second apron would do. The man built a championship roster; you think he doesn't know how to replace a couple of bench players?

For fuck's sake, grow up. 

Look, Mitchell Robinson was a valuable member of this team, but Bill Russell he wasn't. Rose will find a suitable replacement for him, and probably for less money. Landry Shamet, likewise, played an integral role coming off the bench, but if he chooses to leave, it won't be the end of the world. The Knicks starting five is still, overall, the best in the NBA. I trust that Rose and his staff will be able to assemble a nine-man rotation for Mike Brown capable of defending the title in time for the season opener.

If nothing else, he's earned the benefit of the doubt.