The Knicks received major luxury-tax relief last week when the NBA ruled to take Larry Johnson's $9 million salary off this past season's cap, The Post has learned.

In March, the Knicks also won their appeal to get Luc Longley's salary off this past season's cap. Owner James Dolan's combined total of luxury-tax savings for this summer will be $16 million. Across the next two years, the luxury-tax savings will be $31.5 million - the total worth of Johnson's and Longley's contracts. (Teams must pay a 100 percent tax on every dollar over the luxury-tax threshold).