It doesn't seem as though the Knicks will be in on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, according to numerous reports. However, according to a [report from James L. Edwards III of The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6429504/2025/06/17/knicks-coach-free-agent-trade-search-mailbag/), the Knicks could be looking to bring back two familiar faces who fans might not have expected to see on the roster again: Landry Shamet and Delon Wright.
The report indicated that both guards are on the table for veteran minimum deals for the Knicks. It might not be the most flashy news, but the duo earned playoff minutes during the Eastern Conference Finals and showed that they can provide value.
The Knicks should have a $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, which they should be able to use to attract a rotation-level free agent. Outside of that, the Knicks will only be able to add players with veteran minimums or through trades.
The case to bring back Shamet and Wright
----------------------------------------
In The Athletic article, Edwards III stated that he "wouldn’t be shocked if the Knicks brought back Delon Wright and/or Landry Shamet." So perhaps New York will only bring back one of them, but both seem to be under some level of consideration, at least.
It appears that Cameron Payne will not be returning, as he wasn't mentioned in the report. That wouldn't be surprising, considering Payne played himself out of the rotation in the playoffs.
The case to bring back Shamet is that he provides a skill that hardly anyone else on the Knicks' roster does: movement shooting. In fact, over the last five seasons, Shamet is one of 37 players who have taken at least 75 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers while moving to either the left or right.
Even more significantly, out of those 37 players, no one has a higher 3-point percentage than Shamet's 43.4 percent. Last season, while the volume wasn't very high, Sahmet shot a whopping 61.5 percent on catch-and-shoot movement threes.
Delon Wright, on the other hand, earned his spot in the rotation late in the playoffs through his defense and effort. He is a gritty player who can come in for stretches and muck things up. He is willing to do the dirty work, and you never have to worry whether or not he will be giving it his all.
They will need more
-------------------
While Shamet and Wright are two solid veterans to fill out the end of your bench, the Knicks are going to need more than players on minimum deals to reach their goals next season.
The Pacers proved how important depth is to win in today's league. Sure, removing Tom Thibodeau from the equation should fix some of the issue, but the Knicks lacked depth even beyond Thibodeau's insistence on playing the starters 40 minutes.