Craig Carton spent the weekend getting roasted online. He said the Knicks could bring back both Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson, but only if Karl-Anthony Towns agreed to take less money on his next deal.
Twitter did not believe him. Now Shamet is signed, and that is the good news for Robinson’s chances of staying too.
Shamet Signing Backs Up Carton’s Mitchell Robinson Prediction
GettyCraig Carton Doubles Down on Mitchell Robinson Prediction After Knicks Move
The Knicks and Shamet agreed to a four-year, $24 million deal on Monday. That news sent Carton back to the WFAN microphone, and he did not hold back.
“And just proof positive again that this is the only show you should ever listen to when it comes to Knicks basketball, because I took a lot of heat in going into the weekend based on comments I said that the New York Knicks could bring Shammott back and Mitchell Robinson back depending on what Karl-Anthony Towns does with his extension,” Carton said.
He kept going, pointing out that fans told him he did not understand how the salary cap works.
“Except I do. So you can all just keep your lip tight and listen to the aficionado of basketball work his magic. Landry Shammott coming back to the New York Knicks, a four-year deal for $24 million. One piece left, and that piece is Mitchell Robinson.”
Carton’s larger point was about sequencing. Jose Alvarado signed his extension first. Then Shamet signed his. Now Robinson is the last domino, and Carton believes his fate rests on what Towns decides to do.
Why This Actually Tracks With the Knicks Roster Math
GettyLandry Shamet Signing Backs Craig Carton’s Mitchell Robinson Prediction
Carton’s confidence is not coming out of nowhere, the cap numbers explain why he believes it. Owner James Dolan has said publicly he wants to stay below the second luxury tax apron, which sits around $222 million for next season, and crossing it would cost the team trade flexibility and roster tools.
Shamet’s new deal pushes New York closer to that line, which is exactly why Robinson, the longest tenured Knick on the roster, is still unsigned while teams like the Nets and Lakers circle as real suitors.
Towns is the swing piece that could change all of it. He is owed $61 million on a player option for the 2027-28 season, but he is also eligible to decline that option and sign an extension worth roughly $272 million over four years.
If he takes a lower annual number in exchange for guaranteed years, the Knicks free up cap room almost immediately, the same cap room that could keep Robinson in New York.
That is the scenario Carton was describing, and it is the same idea our own Kris Pursiainen flagged, suggesting Dolan could soften his stance on the second apron specifically if Towns signs off on a team friendly deal.
Robinson has not signed yet, and Towns has not agreed to anything either. Carton’s prediction was about sequencing, not certainty. Still, with Alvarado and Shamet already locked in, the Knicks now have one major contract left to sort out before free agency truly opens.
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