Keeping a championship team together is never easy. The New York Knicks are discovering that reality almost immediately.
Landry Shamet revived his career during New York’s title-winning season, becoming one of Mike Brown’s most trusted reserves and one of the NBA’s most efficient playoff shooters. Now, league insiders believe that resurgence has positioned him for a lucrative payday that the Knicks may struggle to match.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Shamet is expected to attract significant interest once NBA free agency opens, creating another difficult financial decision for Knicks president Leon Rose.
The challenge isn’t whether New York wants Shamet back.
The challenge is whether the Knicks can keep him while honoring owner James Dolan’s directive to stay below the NBA’s punitive second apron.
Shamet Expected to Draw Strong Free Agency Interest
Scotto reported Sunday that multiple teams are preparing to pursue Shamet after his strong regular season and championship run.
“Given his strong play during the regular season and the title run, Landry Shamet is expected to have a robust market in free agency with numerous teams interested,” Scotto wrote.
Although Scotto noted Shamet remains highly regarded by head coach Mike Brown and the Knicks’ front office, he added that the veteran sharpshooter is “not a lock” to return.
The reason has little to do with basketball.
It has everything to do with the salary cap.
Second Apron Creates Knicks’ Biggest Obstacle
Shortly after the Knicks captured their first NBA championship since 1973, owner James Dolan publicly reiterated his opposition to crossing the NBA’s second apron.
“There are certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do,” Dolan said during an appearance on The Carton Show on WFAN. “One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron.”
That stance continues to shape every major decision New York makes this offseason.
Following the re-signings of Jose Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara, the Knicks have approximately $208 million committed to 10 players, leaving roughly $14 million below the second apron while still needing to fill at least four more roster spots.
That leaves Leon Rose with increasingly limited flexibility.
Robinson’s Free Agency Further Complicates Knicks Offseason
GettyMitchell Robinson’s future with the New York Knicks remains uncertain.
Shamet is not the only championship contributor entering unrestricted free agency.
Scotto also reported that veteran center Mitchell Robinson is expected to command offers worth the full $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception—or potentially more and is viewed around the league as unlikely to return if remaining below the second apron continues to be a firm organizational mandate.
That creates a difficult choice for the Knicks.
SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley recently explained that while New York has the financial ability to retain both Robinson and Shamet, staying below the second apron likely makes that impossible without first clearing salary.
“This is a question that will hang over this offseason until it’s explained to the fan base,” Begley wrote.
“Every title team loses players. But this situation is different because the Knicks can spend the money to retain Robinson and Landry Shamet. By staying under the second apron, they will have to choose one or the other.”
Begley added that the Knicks will likely need to move salary elsewhere on the roster to make competitive offers for both players while remaining below the second apron.
Without those moves, New York may soon be forced into one of the defining personnel decisions of its championship defense.
Shamet Played His Way Into a Bigger Payday
Shamet didn’t simply elevate his value during the playoffs.
He built it throughout the entire season.
The veteran guard averaged 9.3 points, 2.0 three-pointers, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.0 minutes per game during the regular season while shooting 39.2% from beyond the arc, re-establishing himself as one of the league’s more reliable floor spacers.
He then became even more efficient during New York’s championship run.
Appearing in all 19 playoff games, Shamet averaged 6.0 points, 1.5 three-pointers, 1.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists while shooting an outstanding 47.5% from three-point range in 16.3 minutes per contest.
His ability to stretch the floor, defend multiple perimeter positions and thrive in a complementary role made him one of Mike Brown’s most dependable reserves throughout the postseason.
That combination of regular-season consistency and playoff excellence helps explain why executives around the league are expected to pursue him aggressively once free agency opens.
For the Knicks, the question isn’t whether Shamet has earned a raise.
It’s whether Leon Rose can create enough financial flexibility to keep him without crossing the second apron—or sacrificing another vital member of New York’s championship core.”
Knicks Get Major Landry Shamet Free Agency Update