Landry Shamet Left Money on the Table to Stay With the Knicks. Here’s What It Cost Them.

Landry Shamet could have cashed in elsewhere this summer. He didn’t.

The Knicks sharpshooter turned down bigger offers from multiple contenders to re-sign with New York on a four-year, $24 million deal, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. That’s not the kind of thing you see every day in the NBA. Free agency usually rewards the highest bidder, but Shamet chose the defending champions over a bigger paycheck.

Begley reported Monday that Shamet had legitimate interest from other teams if he had actually hit the open market. Instead, he locked in with the Knicks before free agency even really got going. Shams Charania of ESPN broke the news of the deal first.

“Bringing back Shamet was a priority for the club,” Begley added.

The second apron problem nobody’s talking about

Here’s where it gets complicated for New York. Shamet’s deal pushed the Knicks right up against the dreaded second apron of the salary cap. And that has direct consequences for another key reserve.

Begley put it bluntly: If the Knicks stay under the second apron, it will be very difficult to retain Mitchell Robinson. Robinson was a monster during the 2025-26 championship run, and his impact off the bench made him a prime target for teams with cap space. The Knicks are now in a bind. They kept a fan favorite in Shamet, but they might lose a guy who was arguably more important to their title defense.

The team has not confirmed which teams were in the mix for Shamet. But league sources pointed to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and even the San Antonio Spurs as possible landing spots before he re-signed. All three could use a knockdown shooter like Shamet, who shot 39 percent from deep last season and gave the Knicks a reliable scoring punch when Jalen Brunson sat.

Shamet’s decision says something about the culture Tom Thibodeau has built. Guys want to stay. They want to run it back. But culture doesn’t keep you under the luxury tax.

The Knicks front office now has to figure out the Robinson situation. Teams are already calling. And with Shamet’s deal done, the margin for error just got razor thin.