An apron loophole could allow the Knicks to keep Wiseman and Brown

Key Points:

• The New York Knicks face a roster dilemma with 13 players on standard contracts and two veterans, Bruce Brown and James Wiseman, both on Exhibit 10 deals, but only one can be rostered without exceeding the NBA's second salary apron, which is a hard cap set by owner James Dolan.
• Wiseman is the favored choice to make the roster, but the Knicks want to keep both and may need to trade a player like Pacôme Dadiet or Tyler Kolek to stay under the cap, though trading Kolek could weaken their depth at point guard.
• The Knicks can temporarily exceed the second apron with minimal penalty if they manage their roster carefully, as the major restrictions tied to the second apron only apply if the team finishes the season above it, allowing some flexibility before the trade deadline.
• To stay compliant, the Knicks could either trade a player like Dadiet or Kolek by the trade deadline to shed salary or release either Brown or Wiseman by late November to reduce payroll, thereby keeping their roster intact without breaching the second apron long-term.
• While these strategies are complex and risky, involving tight salary management and potential midseason moves, they offer the Knicks a theoretical path to keep both veterans on the roster for Opening Night without immediate trades.