Landry Shamet’s path in New York has become one of the clearest examples of how Leon Rose has reshaped the Knicks.
Shamet is heading into the 2026-27 regular season as a member of the organization for a third straight year, the first time in his nine-year NBA career he’ll spend three consecutive seasons with the same team. After rising from deep on the Knicks’ bench and hitting timely 3-pointers during their 2026 NBA Championship run, he agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Rose’s front office.
That stability didn’t come easy. Shamet has moved through the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards, and the usual story around a player with that kind of résumé can be that he was the issue.
But in Shamet’s case, the lack of consistency was never really about him. His game has always fit.
He’s a simple, effective shooter who can slide into different systems, which is part of why he kept getting used as a valuable add-on in trades.
In New York, though, he finally found a long-term home. His motor has stood out, and opposing coaches such as Kenny Atkinson have pointed to it as one of the Knicks’ most underrated offensive weapons. He also delivered when the lights were brightest, including against Atkinson’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Rose deserves a lot of the credit for making that happen. He brought Shamet to the Knicks, kept him around, and eventually put him in a position where a coach would actually use him.
Before the 2024-25 season, New York was shopping for veteran depth at the back end of the roster. Tom Thibodeau wasn’t planning to lean on those players much, and free agents knew it. Shamet still accepted the challenge.
When the Knicks sent a large portion of their future draft capital to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, Shamet’s longtime friend and former Phoenix Suns teammate, he was already living in Manhattan. He wanted a real NBA city to call home, and the fit backing up Bridges felt natural.
Then came the setback. During the preseason, Shamet dislocated his right shoulder.
The Knicks couldn’t keep him on the roster, but they found a workaround, getting the first two picks in that season’s G-League Draft and using one on Shamet. He went to Westchester to recover and stayed in the organization, waiting for the call back up.
That call mattered. Injuries hit New York’s rotation hard, and Shamet became important to Thibodeau’s plans. He was even trusted with key fourth-quarter minutes in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
Even then, nothing was guaranteed. He remained with the organization through the summer, went back into a training camp battle, and ultimately beat out Garrison Mathews for a spot.
Mike Brown saw his value early and was proven right over the course of the season. After helping the Knicks win the NBA title, Shamet got the long-term deal he had earned.
Six years into Rose’s run at the top, the Knicks have been transformed. Shamet’s journey through that stretch says plenty about the culture Rose has built, and about a player who kept fitting every step of the way. The story isn’t finished yet, but it already reads like one of the franchise’s better success stories.
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