Landry Shamet Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Ben Simmons Considering Retirement

September 4th, 2025 at 1:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:45 pm: Agent Bernie Lee has informed the National Basketball Players Association that he is no longer representing Simmons as the two-time All-Defensive member weighs his next steps, according to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link).

8:06 am: Veteran free agent Ben Simmons remains unsigned, and it’s possible he’ll decide to end his career instead of joining a team before the start of training camp. A source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that Simmons is unsure “if he wants to continue” playing in the NBA.

The Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in the former No. 1 pick, but they can only offer a veteran’s minimum contract that would be worth a little more than $3MM. That might not be enough to lure Simmons, who is only 29 but has dealt with numerous injuries in recent years. Bondy points out that Simmons has made more than $200MM in his career and may not want to continue pushing his body after undergoing multiple back surgeries.

Another source tells Bondy that along with Simmons, New York is still considering Landry Shamet and at least one other free agent to fill a roster opening. The front office has also contacted representatives for Malik Beasley, Bondy adds, but his status remains uncertain due to his involvement in a federal gambling probe. Beasley may get a more lucrative offer if teams are confident that he’ll be able to play.

Simmons split last season with the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 51 games. It was the most games he has appeared in since 2020/21, which was his last All-Star season.

In addition to their financial limitations, the Knicks may not be able to offer consistent playing time to Simmons, Bondy notes. Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson have already been added in free agency this summer, joining the core of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Bondy states that another team still has interest in signing Simmons, but he doesn’t specify who it is. The Kings and Warriors have been mentioned as possibilities, and they both have roster spots available.

Which Veteran Free Agent Should Knicks Sign?

August 26th, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have been identified as one of the teams interested in free agent guard Malik Beasley. However, it’s not entirely clear whether teams are prepared to move forward on Beasley while he remains a subject of a federal gambling investigation. If they are, he may receive more than a minimum-salary contract, which is all New York can offer.

Besides Beasley, who might make sense for the Knicks’ open veteran’s minimum roster slot? James Edwards III of The Athletic explores this topic in depth.

Edwards’ list includes a pair of guards who played for the Knicks last season under former coach Tom Thibodeau — Landry Shamet and Delon Wright. The issue with signing Shamet or Beasley is that the Knicks already added shooting guard Jordan Clarkson in free agency after he was waived by Utah. Wright might be a more logical choice, since the team is lacking in true point guards beyond Jalen Brunson and Tyler Kolek.

Edwards also identifies a handful of other players who could end up filling New York’s open veteran-minimum roster slot, including Alec Burks, Monte Morris, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Malcolm Brogdon.

Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News believes Shamet or Wright would make the most sense, given their familiarity within the organization. Winfield argues that either one could be the kind of low-maintenance finishing piece a title team might end up leaning on in a crucial situation.

Speaking of Kolek, Edwards believes that only one of the young players on the current roster, a group which also includes Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti, will crack Mike Brown‘s rotation, given that there are already nine solid proven veterans at the new head coach’s disposal.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks Coaches, 14th Roster Spot, LeBron, Brown

August 21st, 2025 at 9:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks have revamped their coaching staff following their run to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. Installed in the stead of ex-head coach Tom Thibodeau is former two-time Coach of the Year Mike Brown, who has brought in many new faces to fill out his bench.

In an interview with Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, USC men’s basketball head coach Eric Musselman weighed in on how he expects Brown to handle the pressures of his new gig. Musselman has several connections to the Knicks’ new-look staff. He worked as the Lakers’ then-D League coach while Brown was coaching L.A.’s NBA team. Musselman also started the career of New York’s fresh defensive coordinator, Brendan O’Connor.

“He is super-detailed, super-organized,” Musselman said of Brown. “That year with the Lakers, his playbook, he wants to make sure it’s color-coded properly. He got a little bit of an NFL, detail-oriented mindset. … I saw it in the meetings in training camp preparation. Perfect color-coded books. And making sure the periods and the commas were in the right places… Training camp, the drills and the precision … that was real detailed as well.”

Musselman added that he believes Brown’s past stints with superstar players in Cleveland and Los Angeles, combined with his run as a Golden State assistant coach that included three championships, has uniquely equipped him for this opportunity.

“I just think his experience of being in Cleveland and who he coached there [LeBron James] and then I think the fact that he coached in L.A. and it’s the Lakers,” Musselman said. “And with the media market in the Bay Area [with the Warriors], even though he was just an assistant, you can kind of sit back and watch how Coach [Steve] Kerr handles pressure and coaching in playoff situations. And he’s at a perfect age [Brown is 55]. He has a lot of things going for him. And if you coached in L.A., that’s about as good a preparation as you can have.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks still have to fill a 14th standard roster spot ahead of the regular season. New York has maintained its interest in free agent guards Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Ben Simmons to fill that spot, according to Bondy, though he cautions that he has heard “conflicting information” about how genuine the interest in Simmons is.
With LeBron James‘ future somewhat up in the air, Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News breaks down the pros and cons of a potential trade sending the Lakers star to the Knicks. There has been no indication that James will ask to be traded or that the Lakers will consider moving him, so it’s a purely speculative exercise by Winfield.
Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown‘s father Marselles Brown, a former boxer, was arrested for attempted murder in Las Vegas, per TMZ Sports. The elder Brown got into an argument with a youth football coach over a parking space, and the conflict escalated into a stabbing. NBC News 3 Las Vegas confirms the TMZ Sports report, noting that the conflict apparently started when a passenger in Brown’s SUV hit the door of the coach’s car.

Free Agent Rumors: Thomas, Westbrook, Simmons, Shamet, Knicks

August 21st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Wednesday during a Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link) that he continues to hear restricted free agent guard Cam Thomas is weighing whether to sign his $6MM qualifying offer or accept a two-year deal with the Nets worth around $14MM annually. The catch is the second year is a team option, meaning only the first season is guaranteed.

“Cam Thomas’s situation seems to be a decision between taking his qualifying offer or a two-year deal with a team option that is north of the qualifying offer from Brooklyn, somewhere around $14 million in average annual value,” Fischer said.

For what it’s worth, league sources not connected to the situation speculated to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports that Thomas might accept a two-year deal with a team option if he received closer to what Golden State reportedly offered Jonathan Kuminga ($45MM). While Helin acknowledges that the Nets have the edge in negotiating leverage, he wonders if the two sides will eventually reach some sort of compromise — perhaps a second-year player option or a partial guarantee in year two — to hash out a new deal.

Here are a few more rumors and notes on NBA veterans who remain unsigned:

There’s still no indication that any NBA team besides Sacramento is seriously considering signing Russell Westbrook, Fischer said yesterday in the same Bleacher Report live stream (hat tip to Dallas Hoops Journal). “We are still waiting to see what other moves could come in Sacramento before the Kings try to bring Russell Westbrook in,” Fischer said. “And that’s been the one home all along that we really have looked at for Russell Westbrook and that’s still the home that I have heard earlier this week is the most likely outcome for Russell Westbrook if he’s gonna be in the NBA at all. Honestly, that’s really the only home we’ve heard for him.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report takes a look at four potential landing spots for Ben Simmons, including the Kings, Knicks and Warriors.
While the Knicks and Simmons have mutual interest and the 29-year-old could end up in New York, Ian Begley of SNY.tv thinks the former No. 1 overall pick is “probably” more likely to land with another team, he said Tuesday on The Putback (YouTube link). New York only has enough room below its second-apron hard cap to sign one veteran to a minimum-salary deal, and Begley is “kind of assuming” that contract will eventually go to Landry Shamet. The Knicks have also kicked the tires on Malcolm Brogdon, though Begley noted they would likely have to make a trade to sign more than one of those three players.

Western Notes: Wolves, Hyland, Dundon, Durant, Suns

August 14th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Due to their proximity to the second tax apron, the Timberwolves may only carry 14 players on standard contracts to open the 2025/26 season, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. While Minnesota has checked in on several free agent guards, including Cameron Payne, Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, all signs point to Bones Hyland being the frontrunner for the 14th spot, Krawczynski reports.

Hyland signed a two-way contract with the Wolves last season, appearing in four games. As Krawczynski notes, Hyland was a former first-round pick by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

While breaking down the roster, Krawczynski writes that Johnny Juzang — who agreed to a training camp deal with the Wolves — is a long shot to make the cut but that Luka Garza forced his way onto the team with similar odds last year. Young players like Jaylen Clark, Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. are expected to have larger roles this season, Krawczynski adds.

We have more from the Western Conference:

A group led by the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reached an agreement on Wednesday to buy the Trail Blazers. That group includes Sheel Tyle, co-CEO of Collective Global who is married to Dr. Sejal Hathi, the head of Oregon Health Authority, Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report writes (Substack subscriber link). The group’s local connection through Tyle is one of a few reasons why it stood out among the bidders, per Highkin.
After suggesting in a recent podcast that the Rockets might be reluctant to sign Kevin Durant to a maximum-salary extension, Tim MacMahon said on an NBA Today appearance that there isn’t any urgency to complete a multiyear agreement. MacMahon said the Rockets have other matters to attend to, including an extension for Tari Eason. “Kevin Durant is their best player, he’s not necessarily their priority,” MacMahon said. “That’s not an insult to him, their priority is making sure they have as long of a runway as possible while trying to cash in on this window that they created by getting Kevin Durant.“
Plenty of “ifs” stand in the way of the Suns making the playoffs, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports writes. While they could be a surprise team if things break the right way, Bourguet has them just on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff picture for next season, sitting at No. 11 in his conference power rankings. The Suns basically remade their depth after trading away Durant and waiving Bradley Beal, adding the likes of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams via trades.

Atlantic Notes: Davison, Simmons, Shamet, Nets

July 31st, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The financial implications of waiving guard JD Davison are why the Celtics ultimately made the move, Brian Robb of MassLive writes. By letting go of Davison, the Celtics slid under the second apron by approximately $1.9MM with 14 players on the roster.

By moving under the apron, the Celtics can send out cash in a trade, can aggregate salaries and are beginning the path to opening their 2032 pick up for trade. As Robb explains, once Boston stays under the second apron for three straight seasons, they’ll unfreeze that pick.

Cutting Davison now as opposed to later allowed him to reach a two-way deal in Houston, where he’ll reunite with former Boston head coach Ime Udoka.

We have more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons and Landry Shamet continue to be candidates for a spot on the Knicks‘ 15-man roster, Ian Begley of SNY writes in a mailbag. As has been previously reported, the Knicks are among the teams awaiting Simmons’ decision, and Begley suggests that several staffers have interest in bringing back Shamet for a second season as well. As Begley writes, the Knicks have enough room under the second apron to bring in one veteran and one draft-rights player on a rookie deal. 2025 second-round Mohamed Diawara looks like a top candidate for that latter role, though that’s speculation.
In a subscriber-only story, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes that by taking a discount on his extension, Mikal Bridges put himself in rare air and established himself as a core Knick for years to come.
The Nets announced their preseason schedule for the upcoming season, NetsDaily relayed. The only home game on the four-game schedule is a tilt against Hapoel Jerusalem.

Free Agent Notes: Simmons, Knicks, Shamet, Ayton, Bonga, More

July 2nd, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have “checked in” on former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Simmons has also met with three other teams and is expected to make a decision on his next destination soon, sources familiar with the situation tell Begley.

Simmons is a three-time All-Star who has made a pair of All-Defensive first teams, but has battled injuries in recent years, having appeared in just 108 regular season games since the start of 2021/22.

Begley adds in the same story that the Knicks maintain interest in re-signing free agent wing Landry Shamet, but have competition from teams in both conferences for the 28-year-old. Shamet made 50 appearances for New York last season, averaging 5.7 points per game on .461/.397/.667 shooting.

Given how close the Knicks are to the second tax apron, it would probably be a case of signing Simmons or Shamet (or another veteran free agent), rather than adding both, unless they create a little more spending flexibility via trade.

Given their roster situation

After Jake Fischer reported that the Pacers have some interest in center Deandre Ayton, David Aldridge of The Athletic suggests that interest will be reciprocated. According to Aldridge, a source close to Ayton said Indiana will be considered as a possible landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick. The big man will clear waivers later today.
The Serbian club KK Partizan recently announced (via Twitter) a contract extension through 2027 for former NBA forward Isaac Bonga, who appeared in 143 regular season games for three teams from 2018-22. However, Bonga remains on NBA radars, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, who notes that the 25-year-old’s new deal includes an out clause that would give him the ability to return stateside later this summer if he gets an opportunity he likes.
Another former NBA forward is headed to Belgrade, with the Serbian club Crvena Zvezda announcing (via Twitter) that it has signed Semi Ojeleye. The 2017 second-round pick made 284 NBA appearances for three teams across five seasons, but hasn’t been in the league since 2022.
In accepting a one-year, minimum-salary offer from the Suns, veteran forward Nigel Hayes-Davis turned down a lucrative offer from Fenerbahce, his team in Turkey, that would have had made him one of the highest-paid players in the EuroLeague, Urbonas reports. While Hayes-Davis won’t earn as much in Phoenix, the 30-year-old will be back in the NBA for the first time since a brief stint in 2017/18.

Scotto’s Latest: Alexander-Walker, Richards, Capela, Kennard, Shamet

June 30th, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Arthur Hill

Echoing multiple reports, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that the Hawks and Pistons are considered to be the front-runners for Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but he lists other contenders as well. League sources tell Scotto that the Clippers and Raptors remain in pursuit of Alexander-Walker along with other teams. He adds that the Magic were also interested before trading for Desmond Bane.

Toronto may be a surprise considering its position near the bottom of the standings this year, but the Raptors are reportedly determined to make a quick turnaround. Scotto notes that Alexander-Walker is a Toronto native and the franchise has a history of bringing in Canadian players, with four on the roster this season.

Scotto talked with several executives around the league who expect Alexander-Walker to sign for at least the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception. League sources told Scotto they don’t expect him to return to the Wolves after they reached new deals with Naz Reid and Julius Randle.

Scotto shares more rumors as the start of free agency draws near:

Center Nick Richards appears to be a trade candidate after the Suns drafted Khaman Maluach and agreed to acquire Mark Williams from Charlotte. Richards’ $5MM contract for next season became fully guaranteed on Sunday, and Scotto hears from league sources that the Knicks, Pacers and Lakers are among the teams with interest.
Clint Capela isn’t expected to return to the Hawks in the wake of the Kristaps Porzingis deal, and Scotto lists the Clippers, Lakers and Spurs as teams to watch for the free agent center.
Sources tell Scotto that Luke Kennard is likely to move on from the Grizzlies. The 29-year-old guard is one of the league’s top three-point shooters.
The Knicks would like to keep free agent guard Landry Shamet, but he’s being eyed by several contending teams, Scotto adds.

Knicks Notes: Free Agency, Diawara, Borrego, Coaching Search

June 27th, 2025 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Memphis shooting guard Luke Kennard and Detroit point guard Dennis Schröder are among the targets the Knicks could pursue in free agency, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Those are probably the best-case scenarios for New York given its limited resources, and there should be league-wide demand for both players, so the team may have to consider other options.

As Edwards explains, assuming they pick up Ariel Hukporti‘s $1.96MM option and decline a $3.5MM option on P.J. Tucker, the Knicks will have 10 players under contract with a total payroll of $196.3MM, which is already above the first apron and a little more than $10MM away from the second apron.

That leaves New York with the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum-salary contracts to fill out the roster, possibly along with second-round pick Mohamed Diawara.

Other free agents Edwards mentions as MLE possibilities are Cleveland guard Ty Jerome, Phoenix guard Tyus Jones and former Orlando guard Gary Harris. He adds that Knicks free agents Landry Shamet and Delon Wright could return on minimum salaries and points to Charlotte guard Seth Curry and Indiana center Thomas Bryant as other potential minimum-salary additions.

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks haven’t decided if Diawara, a 20-year-old French power forward, will be with the team next season or if he’ll be stashed overseas, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. A league source tells Bondy that the Frenchman is expected to play in the Las Vegas Summer League next month. Diawara didn’t put up great numbers in France this season, but Bondy notes that the Knicks are intrigued by his athleticism and his 7’4″ wingspan. Bondy also hears that New York attempted to trade up for the top pick in the second round to grab St. Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming, who went to Phoenix instead.
Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego‘s interview for the Knicks’ coaching vacancy will take place this weekend, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). He’ll be the fourth candidate to interview, joining Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown and Micah Nori.
Andy Miller, an NBA agent who represents several members of the Mavericks‘ coaching staff, recently criticized the Knicks for their unusual approach to their coaching search, which included asking permission to interview five head coaches who are already under contract, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. “I don’t really know where Jason Kidd is in his process with the Knicks,” Miller said on Sirius XM Radio, “because I don’t really know what the process is with the Knicks. … I don’t even know if the Knicks know what their process is.”

Knicks Notes: Achiuwa, Tucker, Payne, Shamet, Free Agents, Brown

June 19th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Coming off a frustrating season in terms of playing time, Knicks big man Precious Achiuwa “started to see the game a lot differently” in January, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link).

Bondy notes that Achiuwa was never able to win the full trust of former head coach Tom Thibodeau, dating back to his arrival in a trade with Toronto last season. Thibodeau inserted former Knick Jericho Sims into the starting lineup instead of Achiuwa when Karl-Anthony Towns was injured, and Achiuwa saw his minutes drop even more when Mitchell Robinson returned in March.

Bondy points out that Achiuwa got off to a strong start during the preseason, but wasn’t able to claim a regular role after missing the first 21 games of the regular season with a hamstring strain.

“You don’t want to start off the season hurt,” Achiuwa said. “And I was kind of having a really good preseason. So getting hurt right there kind of throws you off your rhythm. You get back, you’re trying to get back your rhythm. And then you’re battling getting your rhythm with inconsistencies in terms of playing time, playing style. It took a while for me. But it was tough.”

Achiuwa is exploring his options as he prepares for free agency at the end of the month. Bondy believes the chances of him staying in New York may have improved slightly due to the coaching change, but the team’s salary cap situation makes a return uncertain.

“Going to take a little bit of time from my end to think about that stuff,” Achiuwa said regarding free agency. “But that’s something that’s important. So when that time comes, I have people who I pay money to handle that type of stuff, who have those type of conversations. So we’ll see how that goes.”

There’s more from New York:

The Knicks are almost certain to decline their $3.5MM option on P.J. Tucker for next season, Bondy adds in the same piece, but that doesn’t mean he won’t re-sign. Although Tucker barely played after joining the team in March, he established himself as a strong locker room leader. Bondy notes that free agent guards Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet are both close friends of Mikal Bridges, increasing the chances that they’ll return. Bondy identifies Al Horford, Nicolas Batum and Chris Paul as potential low-cost additions in free agency.
In a mailbag column, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic points to Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard as another possible free agent target. Edwards acknowledges that Kennard is likely to receive better offers than the $5.7MM he could get from New York, but adds that his status as a CAA client could give the Knicks an advantage. Edwards also names Horford as an MLE target, along with Spencer Dinwiddie and Trey Lyles.
Former Sacramento head coach Mike Brown conducted his interview with the Knicks on Wednesday, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).