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Knicks navigating 2026 NBA Draft with second apron restrictions in mind

A few notes on the Knicks’ trades in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft...

As noted earlier Tuesday, the Knicks are operating as a team that will not exceed the second apron in team salary this season. 

That, presumably, was a factor in how New York approached the first round of the NBA Draft. 

They entered Tuesday with the No. 24 pick. At the end of the night, after three trades, New York ended up with five second-round picks and cash considerations. 

They also ended the night with $3.4 million in financial flexibility. If the Knicks selected a player at No. 24, they would have owed that player $3.4 million in 2026-27. 

Every dollar counts for the world champs as they navigate the second round of the draft and free agency on a tight budget. 

Entering the second round of the draft on Wednesday, the Knicks have roughly $211 million in committed salary to 11 players. That means they have about $10.8 million in room before they hit the second apron.

Given that, it will be nearly impossible for them to re-sign both Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet as things currently stand. They would need to shed significant team salary to make a competitive offer to either player. 

Both players figure to have aggressive suitors in free agency. 

The Lakers are in the market for a center. 

As noted Tuesday, they were among a group of teams to contact New Orleans about potential Yves Missi trades. New Orleans obviously didn’t like Los Angeles’ offers ahead of the draft. If the Lakers miss out on targets like Missi, logic says they will be interested in Robinson when he hits free agency. 

If Robinson leaves the Knicks, they would either need to convince a veteran free agent to take less money in signing with them or they would need to acquire a center via the trade market. 

The same is true for Shamet. If they lose the sharp-shooting reserve, they would need to get creative to replace him. 

In addition to Robinson and Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Jeremy Sochan, Ariel Hukporti (restricted), Kevin McCullar Jr. (restricted) and Trey Jemison (restricted) are free agents. Bench favorite Jose Alvarado has a player option. He agreed to push the decision date on the player option to after the draft. This probably gives the Knicks flexibility as they navigate the draft and the second apron. It would be a surprise if the Knicks and Alvarado didn’t come to an agreement if he declines the option.

As far as the second round, the Knicks have three picks on Wednesday (No. 31, No. 47 and No. 55). The other four second-rounders they acquired on Tuesday will be in future drafts. 

ESPN reported that the Knicks are likely to trade out of the No. 31 spot. 

What about those later picks? St. John’s Dillon Mitchell has supporters within the organization. But drafting Mitchell – or any second-rounder – would cost the Knicks in team salary for 2026-27. 

This is where the second apron factors in. Do the Knicks spend team salary on a rookie or save it for a veteran who can help them right away?

Just my opinion: it’s surprising to see a team that has never been shy about spending money operate with financial restraint right after they win the NBA title. Maybe owner James Dolan ultimately changes course on second-apron restraints. In doing so, he’d give New York an easier path to retain its free agents. If not, Leon Rose and his group will have to get creative over the next two weeks to fill out the 2026-27 roster.

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First Round Draft Recap – Darryn Peterson brings hope to Salt Lake City

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Darryn Peterson after he is drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The 2026 NBA Draft will go down in the history books for the Utah Jazz. It really was a long time coming. Tonight, they selected their first top-2 pick since the 1980 Darrell Griffith selection. For weeks, there was a shakeup between the top-3. First, the Wizards-Jazz egregious mock trades (sorry, Ace is still ours, Wizards fans), then came the rumors that the Wizards preferred Darryn at #1, in addition to the consideration of Cam Boozer at #2.

The board fell as expected. BYU phenom AJ Dybantsa was the first name off the board in the 2026 NBA Draft, as well as the wails and cries of Cougar fans ringing off in Salt Lake City.

Then, it seemed as if the Ainge family was already on speed dial. At 6:13 am MST, Jake Fischer leaked the pick:

The pick seemed like a no-brainer. Utah could have paired the father and son Boozers (who fell the next pick to Memphis), but called through yet another draft bluff and took the consensus #1 high-school star. This moment will *hopefully* play in the back of my head for the rest of my days:

Jazz fans reacted just as enthusiastically, video courtesy of SLC Dunk’s very own Diana Allen:

But Darryn Peterson’s night wasn’t over. An hour later, he graced the cover of SLAM 263 despite being a #2 pick, rocking his brand spankin’ new black and purple threads. I’m no psychic, but I have the belief he may want to play here if he already did a photoshoot in a Jazz uniform during the weeks and weeks of rumors.

Darryn Peterson’s night refused to end. The draft marked the day Adidas signed Peterson to a long-term deal with Adidas, making it the top 5 richest rookie shoe deals in NBA history. No other prominent Utah Adidas rookies to mention…*cough* …none whatsoever.

As of the end of Round 1, the Jazz do not own a second-round pick, or any other pick at all after #2. They could attempt to add another rookie if they decide to reset their contract timeline. Or the Jazz could stand pat and relax in the Darryn Peterson cheers. They’re not in a rush to develop talent anymore. Now they’re ready for the big leagues to battle aliens and Greek freaks. Peterson is going to need time to figure out how to shoot at the NBA level, but Keyonte, Lauri, Jaren and Ace will have his back until then.

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Mike Dunleavy Jr. dismisses Yaxel Lendeborg age concerns: ‘He’s not 38’

Yaxel Lendeborg smiling while shaking Adam Silver’s hand at the draft.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Yaxel Lendeborg after is drafted eleventh overall by the Golden State Warriors during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors used the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Yaxel Lendeborg, a consensus first-team All-American who was viewed by most as second only to Cameron Boozer among collegiate players last year. So why did he fall all the way to No. 11?

It’s fairly simple: his age. Lendeborg was a super senior who spent time at both a junior college and a lower-level NCAA school before transferring to Michigan his final year, where he won a national championship. Because of that, he’ll turn 24 before making his NBA debut, which stands in stark contrast to everyone else drafted in the first round on Tuesday.

You can easily make the case that Lendeborg’s age limits his ceiling (the oldest player among the 10 prospects drafted ahead of Lendeborg, Brayden Burries, is a full three years younger). But Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. doesn’t seem concerned. Speaking with reporters after the draft, Dunleavy wryly got off a joke, saying, “He’s what? 23? Almost 24? I’m not worried, because he’s not 38.”

While part of Lendeborg’s allure is that he’s one of, if not the most NBA-ready prospect in the draft, Dunleavy helped set expectations accordingly, saying, “I think it’s tough anytime a guy’s changing levels, whether you’re going from high school to college, college to the NBA … but generally guys like this guy, who’s physically read, who’s played at the highest level of college, won a national championship, maybe those guys can play sooner.”

Despite those comments, Dunleavy made it clear that the door is not only open for Lendeborg to earn minutes as a rookie, but that he’ll likely be thrust into a role by nature of the circumstances. “Next year, to be frank, whether we want him to or not,” Dunleavy explained, “Given our roster constraints, and injuries and stuff like that, the opportunity will be there.”

While Lendeborg’s age may have kept him from being one of the top picks in the draft, it surely is something of an asset to the Warriors. Golden State is hoping to compete for one of the top seeds in the Western Conference next year, but has a difficult path to reach that goal, due to a lack of depth on the roster, and serious injuries to Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody, which will sideline each player until sometime around the All-Star break.

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2026 NBA Draft: Henri Veesaar, Bruce Thornton among best available after first round

The expectation entering night one of the NBA Draft was that there would be a ton of trades. Well, the first trade didn't happen until pick 16, and while there was some movement, only draft picks were dealt.

However, that doesn't mean it wasn't a fun draft. Morez Johnson Jr. to Dallas at pick No. 9 was the first surprise of the night, which reunited him with head coach Dusty May after the pair helped lead Michigan to a National Championship last season.

The Knicks made some cost-cutting moves that may help them retain more of their championship team. They moved out of the first round after multiple trade downs from 24 and acquired future second-round picks and cash considerations.

This is a loaded class with plenty of talent already gone, but there is still a lot left for teams to be excited about. Here are the 10 best available players after round one.

C Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

Veesaar was one of the stars for the Tar Heels last season after spending two years at Arizona. He’s a floor-spacing seven-footer that can pass and rebound, which led to him averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.3 triples per game last year while shooting 60.8 percent from the floor and 42.6 percent from deep. There were definitely a few teams that could’ve used his services that opted for a different center at the end of the first round. Veesaar should immediately slot in as a strong backup option down low for whichever team drafts him.

G Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

After being a five-star prospect out of high school, Thomas was disappointing during his freshman year for the Razorbacks. That led to his slide to round two, but there is still plenty of talent to be intrigued by. He averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.2 triples per game last year while playing alongside Darius Acuff Jr. He didn’t test well at the combine, but he’s one of the few upside swings left in the draft entering the second round.

G Richie Saunders, BYU

Saunders will turn 25 in September, making him one of the older prospects in the class. He also tore his ACL in February, which means he won’t be available for the start of next season. However, Saunders is going to be really productive at the next level, and his game is built for the modern NBA. He can get to the rim and shoot from the perimeter, but he can also force turnovers on the other end of the floor. He averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.6 triples per game last year and should become a solid rotation player in the NBA.

G Isaiah Evans, Duke

The former five-star recruit didn’t see the floor much during his freshman season at Duke, but he was a big part of last year’s team. He averaged 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.7 triples per game and projects to be a high-level shooter at the next level. He should go early in round two and be a rotation piece in year one as a floor spacer that also improved as a rim finisher last season.

G Bruce Thornton, Ohio State

It’s unfair to deem any player the “next Jalen Brunson”, but if there were to be one in this class, it’s Thornton. He’s a smaller, stocky guard that was incredibly productive during his four seasons at Ohio State. Last season, he averaged 19.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 triples while being incredibly efficient as a scorer and playmaker. Again, expecting Thornton to turn into Brunson is setting him up for failure. However, he does project to outplay his draft position and should be one of the steals of the second round.

F Trevon Brazile, Arkansas

After spending a year at Missouri and four years at Arkansas, Brazile entered the NBA Draft at 23 years old. He provided well-rounded numbers last season, averaging 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 triples, but his combine numbers are what make him intriguing. At 6’10.75”, Brazile boasts a 7’3.75” wingspan and a 41.5” vertical. He doesn’t have superstar upside, but he should be a strong option in round two.

G Jack Kayil, Alba Berlin

Kayil was inefficient in Germany last season, which is to be expected for a young guard playing in a professional league. However, he averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 triples per game. He still has plenty of growing to do, but he’s a strong guard with upside, making him worth the swing for rebuilding teams.

G Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State

Lipsey is another smaller guard that projects to be an effective rotational ball handler in the NBA. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.2 triples per game last season. He doesn’t project to be a strong perimeter shooter, but he was still able to impact the game in other ways and should make an impact on both ends of the floor from day one.

F Baba Miller, Cincinnati

Miller is an older prospect at 22 years old, but there is a lot to like about him as a prospect. Last season, he averaged 13.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game, though he doesn’t have much upside as a shooter. He’s a strong defender, rebounder and playmaker and is nearly seven-feet tall, making him an intriguing addition in round two.

C Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia

Teams can typically find rotation minutes for players that can defend the paint. Onyenso only played 18.6 minutes per game last year, but he averaged 6.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He also added a three-point shot after shooting 0-of-1 from deep in his first three collegiate seasons. He may never become a starter, but he should be able to make a massive impact in limited action.