The Knicks were never bringing back Landry Shamet just to fill space on a depth chart. They wanted a shooter, a steady playoff piece, and a guard who could fit without demanding the ball. Shamet delivered that, and the price tag looks even better when you stack it against another guard’s contract.
Tommy Beer drew the comparison Sunday, and it jumps off the page. Shamet has $14.3 million fully guaranteed over the next four years.
Gary Trent Jr. has $64 million guaranteed over the same stretch. That is a huge gap for two players whose production last season landed in the same neighborhood, and in a few areas leaned Shamet’s way.
Beer’s numbers show Shamet at 9.3 points per game, shooting 43.7% from the field and 39.2% from three. Trent finished at 8.1 points per game, 38.7% shooting overall and 36.0% from deep. Shamet also came out ahead in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, according to Beer’s rundown.
That does not mean Shamet turned into something he is not. He did not.
What the Knicks got was a useful connector - the kind of player who can punish a defense for helping off him, keep the offense moving when things get messy, and hold his nerve when the games tighten up. That sort of value is easy to miss until it disappears.
The plus-minus numbers Beer shared only sharpen the contrast. Shamet was plus-191, while Trent was minus-348.
Raw plus-minus can be slippery because it is shaped by teammates, opponents and minutes, so it should not be the whole story. Even without it, the shooting and the money tell you plenty.
Trent is younger and has put up bigger scoring seasons. He can catch fire and look like a player worth paying for.
But that was not the job description for Shamet in New York. The Knicks wanted a cleaner fit next to their top players, not another guard who needs time to get rolling.
Shamet’s contract may end up looking like one of the easier front-office wins to point to. Four years and $14.3 million for a dependable shooter is a sharp deal next to $64 million for a player coming off weaker shooting numbers.
The Knicks will still have bigger decisions ahead as the roster changes. Shamet is not supposed to solve everything. He just gives them a reliable piece at a price that leaves room to chase the moves that really matter.
In Other News...
Knicks Center Battle Suddenly Feels Worse For Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks first week of Summer League has not done much to settle the center picture. After opening with two losses, including a 70-49 defeat to the Spurs, the groups most obvious depth candidate has had a rough go of it. Liam Robbins, the seven-foot center trying to carve out a place in the rotation conversation, has flashed very little so far, with limited production and the kind of uneven play that leaves more questions than answers.
Robbins has been struggling to make a clean case for himself in Las Vegas, and the numbers reflect it. Through two games, he has averaged 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while battling poor shooting and turnovers, a shaky start for a player whose size should at least give him a path to relevance. For a Knicks team still sorting out its big-man hierarchy, his next chance to steady things matters, because every missed opportunity makes the competition look a little less like a battle and a little more like a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Title May Have Just Changed The NBAs Biggest Money Fight
Victor Wembanyamas next Spurs deal is already doing more than setting up San Antonios future. By agreeing to a rookie-scale extension and taking the lower max slot, he gave the franchise a little more room to navigate the cap and luxury tax while it tries to keep building around him, a reminder that the leagues newest stars are now being asked to think like front-office partners as much as franchise pillars.
That decision also lands in the middle of a broader fight over how much the NBAs current system should squeeze teams and players alike. NBPA executive director David Kelly has been openly critical of the second apron and the way it can put the financial burden on players when clubs want to keep a contender together, a debate that has only grown louder as more teams weigh flexibility against spending. [Read more 🡒]