NEW YORK — Most franchises spent the two days of the 2026 NBA Draft addressing their futures, but the New York Knicks instead emphasized their present.Knicks owner James Dolan made it clear during a recent radio interview that he doesn’t want his team in the second apron, and New York’s decision-makers operated this week as if that was a mandate. The Knicks traded the No. 24 pick in a series of moves that, when the dust settled, left New York with five future second-round picks and cash considerations. The 24th pick would have cost the Knicks $3.3 million toward the cap.On Day 2, New York was slated to make the first selection of the second round, but traded the pick just before the draft started. By the end of the annual event, the Knicks selected at No. 39 (Jack Kayil, guard, Alba Berlin) and No. 43 (Tyler Nickel, forward, Vanderbilt), adding two players the franchise can sign to minimum second-round deals or put on two-way contracts.Earlier this week, according to league sources who requested anonymity because they haven’t been authorized to discuss the matter publicly, the Knicks and reserve guard Jose Alvarado agreed to postpone the decision date for his $4.5 million player option from June 22 to June 26, allowing New York to get through the draft before making any more significant financial commitments this offseason.The Knicks currently have an estimated $203.4 million in salary on the books for next season. That figure is spread across nine players, not including Alvarado. (Mohamed Diawara, who recently agreed to terms on a multi-year deal, according to league sources, is included.) The second apron is projected to be set at $222 million, which leaves the Knicks’ front office tasked with finding a way to keep combined player salaries under that amount while filling out the roster. Additionally, key postseason contributors Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet are free agents. Team president Leon Rose and his staff have their work cut out for them.Realistically, it’s hard to envision how New York will be able to retain Robinson and Shamet even if Alvarado declines his player option and re-signs on a longer-term deal to reduce this year’s cap hit. If Alvarado does the Knicks a solid this season and reworks his deal, New York would be about $16 million away from the second apron, and the Knicks’ brass likely wouldn’t want to spend right up to the limit, preferring instead to maintain some flexibility for minor moves during the season.Robinson’s future is the biggest question mark entering free agency, given that he’s coming off a contract that paid him on average $15 million per year. I can’t see Robinson taking a pay cut, especially when a few rival teams will be competing to sign him — watch for the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings. And even if Robinson does accept a deal with the Knicks for, let’s say, $14 million per year, that would leave New York about $2 million under the second apron with just 11 main-roster players under contract. League rules require teams to carry a minimum of 14 players on their regular-season rosters.In that hypothetical, if the Knicks refuse to spend over the second apron, then it would be nearly impossible to keep their championship team together. Shamet would likely leave in free agency, and the team would have to rely heavily on internal development to replace him.It’s also worth wondering if the Knicks might be interested in getting out of the Robinson business. Yes, he is an excellent offensive rebounder and a solid defender. But Robinson has played 60 games in a season just once over the last four years because of injuries and injury management, he is one of the worst free-throw shooters in NBA history, and he had to play most of the postseason with a broken hand because of an undisclosed injury that didn’t occur on a basketball court. We’ll likely know more about how the Knicks view Robinson based on whether they find a way to reduce their payroll over the coming weeks.As for Shamet, I’d expect his next contract to be for more than the veteran minimum, which he’s played on the last two seasons in New York. Shamet was a big piece in the Knicks’ championship run as a 3-point shooter and point-of-attack defender. Other teams will be interested in signing him this offseason. It’s certainly possible that Shamet values being with the Knicks more than he values a raise, but only Shamet knows that answer right now.As things currently stand, there are only two ways the Knicks can bring back nine of their top players from last season: Robinson has to take a deal with an average annual value worth half of what his last contract paid him (that’s tough to see happening); or, Dolan has to be talked into going into the second apron. We can’t rule out a change of heart, despite how adamant he sounded.If the Knicks have to stay under the second apron for the entire 2026-27 season, key members of the team will be gone, and Rose and his staff will once again have to try and work magic by finding useful veterans on minimum deals and count on development from young players like Diawara.The champs have their work cut out for them.