The Knicks and Clippers found a clean way to keep two of their young pieces in place, and the numbers line up almost perfectly.
Mohamed Diawara and Kobe Sanders each signed four-year deals that start at $2,622,139, a figure that hits the ceiling for a Non-Bird contract at 120% of the minimum salary. The structure is nearly identical, too: two fully guaranteed seasons, a non-guaranteed third year, and a fourth-year team option. Each contract is worth $11,279,212 overall.
The Knicks also locked in Landry Shamet on a four-year agreement worth $23,978,467. His deal begins at $5,490,967, with the first two seasons fully guaranteed. The third year, in 2028/29, carries a partial guarantee of $1,581,241, while the fourth-year player option for 2029/30 is partially guaranteed at $1,690,292.
Another Knicks addition, Jose Alvarado, signed a three-year contract worth $14,384,484. His 2026/27 cap hit comes in at $4,439,656, and his third-year salary of $5.15MM is partially guaranteed for $2,765,516.
Elsewhere, the Pacers used $8.05MM of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to bring in Kelly Oubre Jr. on a two-year, $16.5MM deal. Indiana still has nearly $7MM left on that exception, though the team is now working under a first-apron hard cap for the rest of the league year.
The Wizards also used the money they had available, maxing out the remainder of their Kelly Olynyk trade exception to complete a sign-and-trade for Khris Middleton. Middleton’s three-year contract is worth $17,612,034, with a guaranteed 2026/27 salary of $5,591,112 and a partial guarantee of $908,878 on year two.
John Collins’ new three-year, $51MM deal with the Pistons is built differently. It has flat annual cap hits of $17MM, and only the first season is fully guaranteed right now. The later salaries can become guaranteed if Collins stays under contract through June 28 of each year.
In Other News...
Knicks Reward Landry Shamet With Long Term Deal After Title Run
Landry Shamets value to the Knicks went well beyond the box score during their championship run, where he gave them needed shooting and steady defense at exactly the right time. His best stretch came in the Eastern Conference Finals, when he helped stabilize the rotation and fit neatly into a team that leaned on versatility and timely shot-making all spring.
Now the Knicks have made sure that contribution is part of their longer-term plan. Shamet agreed to a four-year, $24 million contract that gives New York some security without fully locking in every season, and team president Leon Rose made clear the organization views him as more than a short-term piece after the way he helped push the club to the title. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Fans Just Learned How Much Brunson Was Really Dealing With
Jalen Brunson is headed for offseason surgery on his left wrist, a move the Knicks have been able to put off until now because of how deep their run went. The procedure is expected to keep him on the shelf for about two months, but the bigger point for New York is that the team is finally addressing an issue that had been hanging over its star guard as it pushed through the spring.
Brunson is expected to be ready by the start of next season, which matters as much as anything for a Knicks team built around his availability and steadiness. The surgery is meant to prevent the wrist from getting worse and to protect his long-term health, leaving the organization with a brief offseason concern but no reason to believe its centerpiece will miss opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Already Regret This Cost Cutting Draft Decision
The Knicks spent draft night looking for savings, trading back in the 2026 NBA draft to trim rookie costs before bringing back Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet. On paper, it was a tidy bit of roster management, the kind of move that helps a team preserve flexibility while filling out the back end of the rotation. But the cost-cutting approach also meant passing on a couple of intriguing young players who fit obvious needs for a team trying to balance win-now depth with a little long-term upside.
Cameron Carr and St. John's Zuby Ejiofor have both looked the part early in Summer League, which only sharpens the question of what the Knicks gave up by moving back. New Yorks veteran-heavy roster already leaves little room for developmental mistakes, and the ripple effects of that draft-night decision could reach beyond this summer if the team keeps trying to squeeze in more proven pieces around the edges. [Read more 🡒]