Landry Shamet was not handed a four-year return because the Knicks needed another familiar face. He earned it by being useful in the games that mattered most, then by making the job simple when the ball found him.
Shamet averaged 9.3 points and two made threes in the regular season while shooting 39.2 percent from deep. He got hotter in the playoffs, where he hit 47.5 percent from three. In the Eastern Conference finals, he made 11 of 12 threes and drilled the tying shot in Game 1.
That was a narrow role when the roster was whole. It was also a role contenders pay to keep. A bench shooter who can survive the postseason is harder to replace than the free-agent market makes it sound.
Knicks paid for more than Landry Shamet shooting
Shamet gives Mike Brown a guard who can play off the ball and punish the help that follows the Knicks stars. He does not need a string of isolations to make an impact. He needs clean spacing, quick decisions, and the same confidence he had in June.
The deal also tells the locker room that last season was not treated as a one-time ride. The Knicks kept several pieces from the title team, and Shamet was one of the players who made the choice easy.
Jun. 13, 2026: Knicks guard Landry Shamet makes a jumper against the Spurs in the NBA Finals, credit Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
Knicks need the same Shamet when the games get tight
There will be nights when he misses three open looks and people ask why he is out there. That comes with the job. The reason is what happened when opponents dared him to shoot in the spring.
I would take that bet again. Shamet has already shown he can make a defense pay without needing the whole offense built around him.
