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<\/a><\/p>\nSAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Landry Shamet #44 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Shamet was born on March, 13, 1997, in Kansas City, Missouri, to a single mother, a former Division I volleyball player at Boise State. He didn\u2019t meet his father until he was 24, so his uncle took on an important role in his upbringing, marred by financial instability. His family lost their apartment when he was in middle school<\/a> after going bankrupt.<\/p>\n He went to Park Hill High School, where he became one of the best players in the state of Missouri. As a three-star recruit, he held offers from multiple Big Ten programs, but decided to stay close to home at Wichita State, enrolling there in 2015.<\/p>\n Shamet figured to be a big part of the Shockers\u2019 plans in 2015-16 as a true freshman alongside Fred VanVleet and OAKAAK Ron Baker in the backcourt, but sustained a season-ending foot injury in his first career start against Division II Emporia State in November. When he returned the following year, he was thrust into the starting lineup, where he led a balanced Wichita State team to the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n After a season in which he was All-MVC First-Team and MVC Rookie of the Year, he took another step forward as a redshirt sophomore in 2017-18, leading the conference in three-point percentage and assists as the leading scorer on a 25-8 team. Despite two years of eligibility remaining, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he snuck into the first round, being picked No. 26 by the Philadelphia 76ers.<\/p>\n He wouldn\u2019t even last an entire season in Philly. Despite showing flashes, including a 29-point outburst in January 2019, he was used as a small piece in the Tobias Harris trade, being sent to the Clippers with two firsts and two seconds for the one-time all-star that would become one of the most hated men in the city.<\/p>\n In Los Angeles, Shamet would start 23 of the remaining 25 games, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team. He again played well the following season, splitting time as a starter and sixth man while being one of the best shooters on a team that was now built around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. His performance in Game 3 against the Mavericks in the bubble was a big reason they got out of the first round.<\/p>\n But that would be his final few games as a Clipper. He was traded to Brooklyn that offseason in a three-team deal that landed Luke Kennard and four seconds in L.A.<\/p>\n While it would be his third team in three years, Shamet was on yet another winner and another team that was a title contender in 2020-21. He had another typical year, averaging nine points a game on 38% from downtown, but didn\u2019t have an impact in the playoffs and couldn\u2019t step up after injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden damaged their hopes of getting past the eventual champion Bucks. That offseason, he was flipped to Phoenix for Jevon Carter and the No. 29 pick.<\/p>\n Four teams in four years. Despite showing himself as a valuable role player, that\u2019s still extremely concerning. He inked a four-year, $43 million extension before the season, which seemingly gave him stability. His two years there were solid, but slightly down due to a reduction in role.<\/p>\n Aside from Game 3 against Denver in 2023, he didn\u2019t produce much in the playoffs, and recurring foot injuries limited him to 40 games in the regular season. Just one year into his four-year pact, he was dealt to the lowly Wizards in the Bradley Beal trade, being left to the fishes and exiled into NBA irrelevance.<\/p>\n As many do, he struggled after going from perennially making the second round of the playoffs to the worst organization in basketball. The 2023-24 season was miserable for him, as he shot a career low from behind the arc, struggled with more foot injuries, and was an afterthought late in the year for a Wizards team focused on development.<\/p>\n Just like that, he was waived in July and spent months on the free agent market. Less than two years after being a valuable role player for a perennial playoff team and making $10 million a year, he was on the cut line. Dozens of players are stuck in that limbo every year, barely sneaking onto NBA rosters or being forced to continue their careers overseas. That\u2019s where Shamet was in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n But circumstances brought him to New York. He was brought in during September to compete for a roster spot with guys like Chuma Okeke and Marcus Morris Sr., but got a life raft when the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster went through ahead of training camp, prompting Morris to be waived for space. When he was offered to re-sign after the trade went through, he said no, so with that and the loss of Donte DiVincenzo, a role existed for a player of his archetype.<\/p>\n Tom Thibodeau was a fan and planned for him to get minutes in the Opening Night rotation in Boston, but a devastating dislocated shoulder in the penultimate preseason game threw a wrench in the team\u2019s plan and one in Shamet\u2019s career.<\/p>\n He was released because of the team\u2019s limited second-apron space and his non-guaranteed contract. Once again, his NBA career was in serious jeopardy.<\/p>\n