The Knicks have kept one of their key bench pieces in the fold, reaching a four-year, $24 million agreement with free agent guard Landry Shamet, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Shamet has spent most of the last two seasons in New York on minimum-salary contracts, but he delivered real value once he got back on the floor after a shoulder injury. This winter, he played in 51 regular season games and averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23.0 minutes per game.
What stood out most was his shot-making. Since the start of the 2024/25 season, Shamet has hit 39.4% of his three-point attempts for the Knicks. He was even more dangerous during New York’s title run, connecting on 29-of-61 from deep, good for 47.5%, while appearing in 19 games off the bench.
There had been some uncertainty about whether New York could afford to keep bringing back role players after owner James Dolan said shortly after the championship that he had no intention of operating in the second tax apron in 2026/27. That comment raised questions about the future of several rotation pieces, Shamet included.
According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, Shamet was expected to draw larger offers on the open market, but he chose to stay with the Knicks and help defend the title. He may have been able to land a bigger annual salary elsewhere, but the four-year structure gives him meaningful guaranteed money after multiple veteran’s minimum deals.
The Knicks appear to be bracing for a possible loss in the frontcourt, with backup center Mitchell Robinson increasingly likely to leave in free agency unless Dolan changes course on second-apron spending. Even so, the team has already managed to keep Mohamed Diawara, Jose Alvarado, and now Shamet ahead of free agency opening on Tuesday. As cap expert Yossi Gozlan noted, New York can still stay below the second apron by rounding out the roster with minimum-salary players.
In Other News...
Knicks May Have A Way To Keep Mitchell Robinson After All
Mitchell Robinsons next contract has become one of the more delicate Knicks questions, not just because he matters on the floor, but because of how tightly New York is trying to manage its books. Owner James Dolan has been reluctant to push too far past the NBAs second-apron luxury-tax line, which has made any long-term retention plan feel complicated even as the Knicks weigh how much they want to invest in keeping their center in place.
Still, there is a path for the front office to explore if Robinsons market does not spiral out of control. New York could use a short-term approach that keeps the roster together now and gives the team room to adjust later, with smaller trades and salary trimming potentially providing a way to get back under the line. The wrinkle is timing, because the Knicks would need enough flexibility to make that cleanup work before the leagues harsher penalties start to bind their future. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Just Got A Warning About How Brunson Could View This
Nikola Jokics looming contract choice in Denver has put a familiar fear back on the radar in New York: what happens when a franchise player has enough leverage to decide whether a max extension is really the move? For the Knicks, the name to watch is Jalen Brunson, whose future could eventually intersect with the same kind of decision point if the team keeps operating with a hard eye on its spending limits.
James Dolans reported reluctance to push the Knicks past the second salary apron only sharpens the issue, because that posture can shape more than just one contract negotiation. It affects how much flexibility the front office has now and how convincing the long-term pitch can be later, with the possibility of having to navigate tough calls on core pieces and, eventually, on the player the franchise would least want to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Koleks Knicks Path Just Got A Lot Murkier
The Knicks backcourt picture got a little more crowded with news that the team has agreed to a three-year extension with Jose Alvarado, a move that reinforces the depth chart behind Jalen Brunson and trims the runway for Tyler Kolek. For a young guard trying to carve out a role, the timing matters. Every extra ballhandler changes the minutes math, the practice reps and the margin for error, and New York has made clear it values guards who can handle the ball, defend and keep the rotation flexible.
Kolek still has the kind of passing feel that can keep him in the conversation, but the path to steady playing time looks narrower now than it did before Alvarados return. The Knicks can try to get creative by using Kolek in more of a combo role, though that would come with its own ripple effects elsewhere on the roster. If the front office eventually looks for ways to balance the group, Kolek could wind up in the kind of trade conversation that often involves draft assets or bigger roster needs, which is why this latest move feels bigger than one backup guard signing. [Read more 🡒]