Landry Shamet could have made more money elsewhere. Instead, he chose to stay with the New York Knicks.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported Monday that Shamet declined opportunities to pursue larger offers from rival contenders before agreeing to a four-year, $24 million contract to remain with the defending NBA champions.
According to Begley, several teams were prepared to pursue the veteran sharpshooter once free agency officially opened. Rather than test the market, Shamet committed to New York before July 1.
The decision represented more than another successful piece of business for Knicks president Leon Rose.
It was also a full-circle moment for a player whose NBA career was revived because the Knicks refused to give up on him when few others would have.
Knicks’ Faith in Shamet Paid Off
GettyLandry Shamet of the New York Knicks reacts in the second half against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City.
Shamet’s journey back to becoming one of the NBA’s most coveted role players was anything but straightforward.
The Knicks initially signed him just before training camp in 2024 to compete for the final roster spot.
Then came disaster.
A shoulder injury suffered during the preseason appeared likely to end his season before it ever began.
Rather than sever ties, New York found another solution.
The Knicks acquired the first two selections in the 2024 G League Draft and used one to select Shamet for Westchester, allowing him to rehabilitate within the organization while preserving the possibility of bringing him back later in the season.
It was an unconventional move that reflected how highly the organization viewed the veteran guard.
By late December, Shamet had earned another standard NBA contract.
By spring, he had become one of the team’s most reliable rotation players.
Mike Brown Helped Revive Shamet’s Career
The 2026 season marked perhaps the most stable stretch of Shamet’s NBA career.
Before arriving in New York, the former first-round pick had already played for Philadelphia, the Clippers, Brooklyn, Phoenix and Washington in just six seasons.
His value appeared to be fading after a difficult stint with the rebuilding Wizards, where he shot a career-low percentage from three-point range and briefly found himself without an NBA contract.
The Knicks changed that trajectory.
Under first-year coach Mike Brown, Shamet quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier reserve shooters.
He averaged 9.3 points while making 39.2% of his three-point attempts during the regular season before elevating his game even further in the playoffs, shooting 47.5% from beyond the arc across 19 postseason appearances.
His floor spacing, defensive effort and willingness to embrace a complementary role made him indispensable to Brown’s championship rotation.
Shamet Rewards Knicks’ Loyalty
GettyLandry Shamet and OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks react during the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 05, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Begley reported that bringing Shamet back was one of New York’s top offseason priorities.
The feeling was clearly mutual.
After the Knicks invested in his rehabilitation, gave him a second chance and helped restore his reputation around the league, Shamet chose continuity over maximizing his earnings.
For a championship team built around chemistry as much as talent, that decision carried significant weight.
Not every free agent chooses familiarity over a larger payday.
Shamet did.
Mitchell Robinson Now Becomes Knicks’ Biggest Challenge
The Shamet agreement also sharpened New York’s next offseason dilemma.
“If Knicks stay under second apron, it will be very difficult for them to now retain Mitchell Robinson,” Begley wrote on X.
That assessment aligns with expectations around the league.
Robinson is expected to command offers worth the full non-taxpayer midlevel exception—or potentially more—from contenders seeking a starting-caliber center.
With Jose Alvarado and Shamet already re-signed, the Knicks have largely preserved the championship perimeter rotation while remaining below the NBA’s punitive second apron.
Whether they can do the same with Robinson is far less certain.
Rose has successfully rewarded a player who repaid the organization’s faith.
Now comes the much tougher decision—determining whether keeping another cornerstone of the championship roster is financially possible without compromising the long-term flexibility New York has worked so hard to maintain.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Landry Shamet Rewarded Knicks’ Faith With Surprise Decision appeared first on HEAVY.