The New York Knicks made a few key signings late in the offseason, bringing in Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon, and Garrison Mathews to compete for their “final roster spot.”
All three players are on non-guaranteed contracts, which means the Knicks have the flexibility to waive them without incurring any cap hit.
The Knicks only have room for one more veteran minimum contract under the second apron. However, with a trade, it is possible to find a way to add two of the three free agents to their roster.
Who are the new signings?
Landry Shamet played in the Knicks’ playoff run last year, providing energy off the bench, mainly on defense. In the 2024–25 season, he saw limited action partly because of an early shoulder injury that prevented him from making a real impact until late in the year.
Malcolm Brogdon has spent the past few seasons bouncing around the league, moving from Boston to Portland and then to Washington. His lengthy injury history dates back to his Celtics days, when a trade to the Clippers fell through due to concerns about his physical. When healthy, Brogdon is a reliable backup guard; he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2022, so New York is curious about what he still has left at 32 years old.
Garrison Mathews has an interesting case because of his elite shooting ability. It was quite surprising to see no other team sign him.
Mathews has spent the last three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Last season, he posted an 89th-percentile true-shooting percentage, a 99th-percentile three-point attempt rate, and a 94th-percentile shot quality among all NBA players. Mathews signed an Exhibit-10 contract, a camp deal, but he will likely play for the Knicks’ G League team.
Trading Tyler Kolek?
Leon Rose and the Knicks acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in October last year. The Knicks will not make a blockbuster trade again near camp, but the option to clear some salary and bring in both Shamet and Brogdon is real. They can make this possible by simply trading someone like Tyler Kolek.
Trading Pacome Dadiet is unlikely because he is only 20, though he may hold the most value among the players at the bottom of the roster. Ariel Hukporti serves as the third-string center, and the team needs him due to Mitchell Robinson’s injury history. The Knicks now have Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, Shamet, and Brogdon as their guard depth behind Jalen Brunson; there is no need for Kolek on this roster.
Kolek is 24 years old and did not have a very productive summer league despite being a second-year player. New York expected Kolek to improve, but he displayed that he is only a small playmaking guard who struggles on defense. It remains unclear whether Kolek’s contract holds value elsewhere in the NBA, but the Knicks should evaluate any potential offers if they have not done so already.
Kolek has a $2.1 million cap hit for 2025-26; clearing this salary is more than enough to add both Shamet and Brogdon. New York still needs to decide who to give the second-round pick exception to: Mohamed Diawara or Kevin McCullar.
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