Landry Shamet just did something most players wouldn’t even think about. He left money on the table. A lot of it.
The New York Knicks locked him up for four years and $24 million. That’s about $6 million per season. In a league where backup guards with playoff reps sometimes get double that, Shamet basically told the front office, I want another ring more than I want another $10 million.
And that matters because the Knicks just won their first championship in 53 years. They went 16-3 in the 2026 playoffs and bulldozed everyone. Now they want to bring the whole thing back. Shamet’s deal makes that possible. Barely.
The cap math is tight. Like, really tight.
Right now the Knicks have 11 guys under contract for about $210.9 million. They need at least three more bodies. And they have exactly one center on the roster: Karl-Anthony Towns. So the first question is what happens with Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson made $15 million last season. If he wants that again, New York goes about $4 million over the second apron. That’s before they sign two more players. Throw in a couple minimum deals and the overage balloons closer to $7 million. The penalty doesn’t hit until the end of the season, which gives them time to shed salary through trades. But it’s still a tight spot.
What if Robinson takes less? Say a four-year deal starting at $12 million. With max eight percent raises that comes out to about $54 million total. That keeps the Knicks roughly $4 million over the second apron. Still tight. But Miles McBride ($3.96 million) and Pacome Dadiet ($2.98 million) are trade candidates if the Knicks can find partners. Swapping them out for rookie minimums might get under the apron entirely. It would probably cost some second-round picks to make that happen. The Knicks just stockpiled a bunch of those, so that’s an option.
Or Robinson could sign for two years then opt out and get a bigger deal later, especially if Towns takes a discount on his next contract. Plenty of moving parts.
What if Robinson walks?
Then the Knicks have the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, which is about $6 million. That gets you a backup center but not a star. Andre Drummond just finished a two-year, $10 million deal in Philly. Nick Richards made $5 million last season. Kevon Looney made $8 million. Any of those guys could be in play.
The drop-off in rim protection and offensive rebounding would be real. But it frees up the veteran minimum to chase a higher-impact wing or guard. If some veteran with playoff pedigree wants to chase a ring in New York, maybe the total package of additions ends up better than bringing Robinson back.
Shamet basically gave the front office a gift. James Dolan and Leon Rose should send him a fruit basket. Or a championship watch. Or whatever you give a guy who left millions on the table so the team could run it back.
Now the Knicks just have to figure out the rest. The hard part is still ahead. But at least the door is open.
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