The New York Knicks, NBA champions, could not keep Mitchell Robinson. The reason comes down to one word: the second apron, a salary cap threshold that limits what a team can sign.
Robinson signed with the Boston Celtics, three years, with a player option on the final season. Speaking to Knicks Fan TV, he said: “Stuff with New York, the apron and all that stuff that happened. So, it is what it is. It’s a business at the end of the day.” He also said he loved New York, and that “sometimes things just come to an end.”
The Knicks signed Andre Drummond, a veteran centre, for one season. Drummond brings rebounding and a more varied offensive game, but not the same defensive presence.
I have a sheet with six columns. Number, name, fouls, time-outs, points, signatures. There is no column for the apron. Over there, a player can leave because the club stepped over an apron. Here, a player leaves when his son stops playing, or when he moves to Verviers. We cross him off in pencil and write the new name underneath, spelled correctly. I note it for the Knicks: number changed, centre changed, one-year deal. It’s on the sheet. Bottom line: Robinson out, Drummond in, reason off the sheet.
It’s true, we checked: BasketNews.
