Landry Shamet is headed into free agency with real leverage. He is projected to start at around $8 million per year, and the Knicks are not operating with enough room to treat that as an easy add while four roster spots still need to be filled.
Mike Brown and the Knicks
Shamet averaged 9.3 points in the regular season, made two three-pointers per game and shot 39.2% from three. In the playoffs, he pushed that number to 47.5% from beyond the arc, the kind of finish that usually tightens a market instead of shrinking it.
He also remains tied to a roster that has already moved some pieces. The Knicks extended Mo Diawara and Jose Alvarado, which keeps the focus on what can still fit beneath the financial line they are trying not to cross.
Shamet Market Pressure
Michael Scotto said rival teams are salivating at the possibility of prying Shamet away from New York. The Miami Heat were mentioned as a possible team to offer him a deal, and that alone is enough to turn this from a simple return decision into a competitive market read.
Shamet is described as being beloved by Mike Brown and the front office, but affection does not solve the math. The Knicks have roughly $14 million in space below the second apron while still needing four roster spots, and Mitchell Robinson is expected to command offers at or above the $15 million mid-level exception.
New York Roster Math
The cleanest path gets crowded fast. Re-sign Shamet to an $8 million deal, add the two rookies for a combined $2.75 million, and only $3.25 million is left to cover the remaining spots.
Free-agent negotiations between franchises and free agents are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET, with the official market opening at 6 p.m. ET. That leaves New York with a narrow window to decide whether Shamet is part of the next roster or part of the market someone else wins.
