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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.

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It 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.

If Robinson exits New York, who could the Knicks get to replace him? Let’s take a look at some of the unrestricted free agents (and one potential free agent) who might make sense financially.

(Warning: Some of these names might hurt your eyes.)

Jock Landale

Landale was solid last season, splitting time between the Grizzlies and Hawks. He’s a good rebounder who can also space the floor a little bit on offense — Landale has made over 38 percent of his 3s on 2.8 attempts per game the last two seasons combined. Due to the underwhelming center market this free agency, it’s possible that Landale commands more than $3 million-ish per year. However, if Landale is in that ballpark, he might be the Knicks’ best option.

Andre Drummond

The 32-year-old is one of the best rebounders of all-time, but he’s not as springy as he once was during his time in Detroit. Still, Drummond remains a good rebounder — he held the fifth-best offensive rebounding percentage in the NBA last season among players who logged at least 10 minutes per game and played in at least 40 games. Drummond, of course, wouldn’t be an upgrade over Robinson, but he loosely replicates some of the offensive stuff that New York would lose if Robinson walks. Drummond surely would help a title team more than Hukporti can at this stage.

Nick Richards

The Knicks have had interest in Richards in the past. The 6-foot-11 center was not very good for Phoenix last year before he was traded to the Bulls. In Chicago, Richards was more impactful, but the Bulls weren’t playing for anything down the stretch. Richards would be below both Landale and Drummond on my personal list, but there’s a world where he is New York’s best option this offseason, given the current financial restraints.

Jusuf Nurkić

The 12-year vet isn’t the player he once was, but he’s tough and can still rebound — he had the third-best defensive rebounding percentage among players who logged at least 10 minutes per game and played in at least 40 games. Those are two good qualities to have. Also, Nurkić is a strong passer for a center, and that skill could pop in Mike Brown’s system.

Brook Lopez

The 38-year-old has a $9.1 million club option with the Clippers, which I’d be stunned to see get picked up. My guess is that Lopez’s final years in the NBA will be played on veteran-minimum deals. The two-time All-Defense performer is no longer as dominant on that end, but he’s a big body with a high IQ. Lopez isn’t a great rebounder but he still remains one of the better high-volume, 3-point shooting bigs in the NBA. Over the past four years, Lopez averaged no less than 4.2 3-point attempts per game and didn’t dip below 36 percent.