As the NBA offseason slows to a crawl, the Knicks still have two roster slots to fill. One of those spots will be filled with a rookie while the other will go to a veteran on a minimum contract. According to SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks could use that spot to bring back veteran guard Landry Shamet.
Speaking on The Putback, Begley said, "I'm talking about Shamet because I think there is still mutual interest there. If I'm guessing, I'm guessing it ends up with Shamet getting one of those spots." Begley went on to mention that there was a lot of internal support in bringing Shamet back, as well as respect for how he dealt with his shoulder injury last season.
If the Knicks and Shamet do reach a deal, he would find himself in a familiar spot in more ways than one. There is the familiarity for ownership, the city, and most of the roster, for starters. That said, there is also the familiarity of being outside of the rotation looking in, as was the case for Shamet last year.
Ultimately, Shamet's play down the stretch last year, and in the playoffs, earned him a spot within the rotation in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks' nine-man rotation heading into the season seems set, meaning Shamet would once again be battling for playing time.
The Shamet signing makes sense
While Shamet won't have much playing time out of the gate, the signing does undeniably make sense. He adds some height to the Knicks' guard depth chart, while also being a solid defender and a reliable shooter.
Shamet is a career 38.5 percent shooter, while having the added ability to shoot with movement, an underrated skill for players who get the majority of their looks off the catch.
While Shamet does provide an additional layer of guard depth, he is less of an initiator and more of an off-ball guard. It would add more pressure on Deuce McBride to slide into the backup ball-handler role, which Cam Payne held last season.
There are other options remaining
If Shamet and the Knicks do not ultimately land on a deal, the Knicks do have a few other options on the market that they could target. Rumors have swirled about the possibility of Ben Simmons, although he is more of a wing at this point in his career.
Other options including Malcolm Brogdon, Monte Morris, and Cam Payne.