The Knicks didn’t need to rip up their bench after winning the title. They needed to keep the pieces that actually held it together, and Landry Shamet was clearly one of them.
That’s why the four-year deal matters. It says the Knicks saw more than a brief scoring run.
During the regular season, Shamet averaged 9.3 points, hit two threes per game, and shot 39.2% from beyond the arc. In the playoffs, he was even sharper, drilling 47.5% of his threes.
Those aren’t the kind of numbers a team casually tries to replace with a minimum signing in August.
His biggest moments also came when the pressure was highest. Shamet went 11-for-12 from deep in the Eastern Conference finals and buried the game-tying three in Game 1. When the contract conversations came around, the Knicks had every reason to keep that in mind.
What the Knicks protected here was more than shooting. Bench offense can vanish in a hurry once a team wins it all.
Players leave for more money, teams chase bigger names, and a second unit that once fit neatly together can get blown apart. New York avoided that with Shamet.
And the role is straightforward. He’s not there to dominate the ball or take over possessions.
He’s there to keep defenses honest once Jalen Brunson gives it up, and to make them pay when they lose him for even a split second. That sounds simple until the shots stop falling.
The Knicks still have other issues to sort out before opening night, including the frontcourt depth they lost. And the pressure that comes with defending a championship brings its own kind of noise. Keeping Shamet doesn’t solve everything, but it does remove one problem that could have lingered all season.
It’s a clean basketball decision. The Knicks know what he brings, Shamet knows the building, and Mike Brown knows he can trust him in a big possession without wondering whether the moment will be too big.
In Other News...
Knicks Finally Have A Real Answer To Their Backup Center Problem
The Knicks addressed one of their quieter but more persistent roster needs by bringing in Andre Drummond on a one-year contract, giving the second unit a true backup center with a defined job. New York is counting on his size and physicality to help on the glass and around the rim, while also giving the starters a chance to breathe without the team losing its defensive shape when the rotation turns over.
What stands out about the move is how clearly it fits the Knicks broader approach. Rather than trying to replace every departing frontcourt piece with a like-for-like answer, the front office is leaning into role clarity and lineup fit, and Drummond fits that mold as a low-usage interior presence. For a team that wants stability behind its main group, he looks like the sort of specialist who can settle a problem spot without asking for more than his lane. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Be Running Out Of Time On A Roster Option
The Knicks search for depth in the middle has taken on a little more urgency with Jeremy Sochan still sitting on the board as a potential third-string center option. New York has not re-signed him yet, and that linger can matter this time of year when teams are filling out the edges of a roster and trying to protect themselves against losing a useful piece before camp or the next wave of moves.
Minnesotas reported interest adds another layer of pressure for New York, because Sochan is the kind of young defender who can draw attention even if his offensive game remains limited. For the Knicks, the decision is less about splash and more about timing, and the longer they wait, the more they risk watching a practical roster fit become someone elses answer. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Have To Sacrifice A Trusted Rotation Piece Next
The Knicks may be close to the point where the big offseason swings are done, but there is still one roster question lingering in the background. Deuce McBride has become a trusted rotation piece because of what he brings on the defensive end, and his value is tied to the way he fits into a bench group that needs reliable guard play and toughness every night.
Even so, his name keeps surfacing in the kinds of trade talks that come up when a team starts looking for ways to cover another hole, including the backup center spot. There is no official move or confirmed deal here, only the possibility that New York could be forced to weigh depth against fit again, and McBrides role makes him one of the more interesting names to watch if the front office keeps looking for a final tweak. [Read more 🡒]