And just like that, after winning their first NBA championship in 53 years a little over two weeks ago, the New York Knicks now begin piecing together next season’s team.The process actually started last week, when the team agreed to terms with Mohamed Diawara on a new deal and then left the NBA Draft with two second-round rookies, despite going into the event holding a first-round pick. It continued on Friday when backup point guard Jose Alvarado declined his $4.5 million player option and re-signed with New York on a three-year, $14 million-ish deal, league sources confirmed to The Athletic.Now the Knicks, with an owner who publicly said he doesn’t want to go into the second apron, have 10 players from last year’s team under contract for next season with a payroll of roughly $208 million (not including rookies Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil). New York is approximately $14 million away from the projected $222.3 million second apron with Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet set to enter free agency when it begins on June 30.Unless owner James Dolan changes his stance on the second apron or the Knicks make an unexpected trade involving a bigger-salary player, it is very unlikely Robinson will be returning next season. Robinson, the longest-tenured player on last season’s roster, just wrapped up a contract that paid him an average of $15 million annually. It’s very possible Robinson gets, at least, a similar deal from another team, and it’s hard to believe that Robinson takes a significant pay cut in order for New York to retain both he and Shamet.Why the road to this Knicks title was long and painfulMike VorkunovIt feels likely that Shamet will come back to the Knicks, though that might not be set in stone either after he established himself as a legit rotation piece on a title team. Hypothetically, New York could sign Kayil to a minimum second-round contract, sign Nickel to a two-way contract, bring Shamet back on a deal worth something like $18 million over three years, sign a backup center for close to the veteran minimum and bring back Ariel Hukporti or Jordan Clarkson on a minimum. That would give New York 14 roster spots with a little room under the second apron.