With just over a month to go before the 2025-26 NBA season tips off, the Knicks used their final veteran minimum slot to bring back veteran Landry Shamet, according to a tweet from ESPN's Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Landry Shamet has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the New York Knicks, his agent George S. Langberg of GSL Sports Group tells ESPN. Shamet stays with the Knicks for his 8th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/oFtvDcLIA4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2025
The Knicks had been monitoring several players to fill out the bottom of their roster with, including Ben Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon, and Delon Wright, before ultimately agreeing to a deal with Shamet.
Shamet clearly has the trust of the organization
Shamet spent last season with the Knicks, while missing most of the season with an injury. After coming back from it, Shamet played well down the stretch, shooting 42.2 percent from three over his final 23 games of the season. On top of that, Shamet played himself into the rotation, earning significant minutes in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
Ian Begley of SNY mentioned earlier this summer that the way Shamet dealt with his injury earned him plenty of fans within the organization and the locker room. Now, it has paid off in the form of a new contract.
Shamet gives the Knicks extra shooting off the bench
The Knicks' nine-man rotation seems to be set in stone. It will consist of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Guerschon Yabusele. Ultimately, that leaves Shamet on the outside looking in to start the year.
That said, Shamet proved last year that he is more than happy to compete for minutes and earn them the hard way. He is a great spot-up shooter and can easily shift into a bigger role in the event of an injury while maintaining the pace-and-space offense that the Knicks seem destined to play under new head coach Mike Brown.
In particular, it could be his shooting with movement that ends up earning him minutes. According to league tracking data, over the last three seasons, Shamet has generated an astounding 1.45 points per shot on catch-and-shoot attempts where he was moving to either the right or the left.
Admittedly, he only took a total of 62 of those shots, which is a small sample size. Still, having the ability to knock down shots on the move is a huge advantage to have on set plays.
On the defensive end, Shamet gives them a bit of extra height at the guard spot, although he isn't particularly known as a great defender. Last season, he posted a -0.8 Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, which ranked in the 24th percentile in the league.