One of the Knicks’ impending unrestricted free agents is Landry Shamet, the seven-year veteran guard originally signed during training camp.
After spending six years on five different teams and contributing to lots of playoff runs, Shamet was brought in to fill New York’s depth and provide some postseason experience to the locker room.
Unfortunately, his Knicks season was stopped in its tracks before it could start, as he sustained a shoulder dislocation to close out the preseason and was waived days before the regular season began.
But Shamet and New York remained close as he rehabbed that shoulder, with him eventually appearing for the Westchester Knicks in the G-League and re-signing two months after his initial injury.
Shamet was known throughout his career for his knockdown shooting, with a career 38.4 percent clip from three — though a bit undersized at the shooting guard position, he defended hard at every stop and always left a good impression despite the constant movement.
It took him some time to get back into a groove from the shoulder injury once he returned to the Knicks. His minutes were inconsistent and he missed four of his first 20 three-pointers, making it hard to justify his playing time with the shots not falling.
However, as the season continued Shamet saw his shot recover — and his role increased. From late January on, he appeared in 38 games, shooting 42.6 percent from three on 3.6 attempts per game over 16 minutes a night.
He didn’t have many explosive showings, but proved himself to be a reliable bench piece with solid on/off splits and the ability to play multiple positions — but for some reason, this wasn’t enough to earn him burn in the postseason until it was too late.
Shamet played 10 minutes in New York’s series-opener against the Detroit Pistons, then only scant minutes until New York was down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. It was at that point that former head coach Tom Thibodeau experimented with a new bench rotation that included more Shamet, and it paid some dividends.
Shamet played 13 minutes a night in New York’s final four games, shooting 53.8 percent from three with a +21 in total — he did a terrific job defensively rotating to and chasing Indiana’s shifty guards, which was a much-needed boost.
It wasn’t anything game-breaking, but he once again showed he could be a contributor in doses, only this time at the highest level of play. After that performance, it’s hard to see the Knicks not wanting him back, but the question is at what price and if he’s interested in staying.
Moving on from Thibodeau opens the door for a more consistent role for Shamet, which the new coaching staff should welcome openly given his production and the thin array of alternative options. Shamet is likely looking for some kind of consistency after bouncing around so many teams, but it’s unclear what his market will look like.
A smart, up-and-coming team would offer a low-level multi-year deal Shamet’s way, which may be difficult for the Knicks to compete with. They likely have their sights set higher using their mid-level exception, so another veteran’s minimum deal may be the biggest weapon in their arsenal.
Bringing Shamet back would be instrumental in trying to make another deep playoff push, and be a good reflection of the culture they’ve built. We’ll see if the Knicks and Shamet can reconnect.
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