3 Upcoming Knicks Free Agents Who Will Have Their Futures Decided This Postseason

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) reacts after scoring on a put back shot against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at State Farm Arena. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks enter their first-round postseason matchup against the Atlanta Hawks with several impending free agents who will need to prove themselves enough to get the invite back to the Mecca for next season.

These three players can help make a deep run, potentially ending a 53-year championship drought, or just as easily be shown the door this coming offseason if things don't work out in the playoffs.

1. Mitchell Robinson

The biggest question will be if Mitchell Robinson comes back as the team's primary backup big man. Of course, a Karl-Anthony Towns trade could open the starting 5 spot back up, but if that's not on the horizon, paying a big man who plays fewer than 20 minutes per game top dollar is a major risk.

Robinson is confident that he's irreplaceable, recently touting his own impact on the team. It's unclear if that is confidence that the two sides are going to get a deal done, or a signal that he's going to be asking for the kind of money an impact player gets paid.

Either way, he needs to prove worthy of that payday throughout the playoffs if he's to come back to the Big Apple on another eight-figure deal.

2. Jordan Clarkson

The 2025-26 season was a tale of two halves for Jordan Clarkson. Brown deemed him unplayable early on, with his defense deep in the negatives in most advanced metrics. But once his three-point shot started falling in March, up to 40%, Clarkson earned his way into the postseason rotation.

Of course, as a new arrival on a one-year deal, Clarkson is auditioning for his job practically every game.

Playoff games will weigh whether or not he'll be a minimum contract player again this June, or if the soon-to-be 34-year-old has one more multi-year deal left in his career. The efficiency of his shot-making in tough moments this postseason will determine if New York is the team to hand him that.

3. Landry Shamet

Landry Shamet has been able to carve out his role on the Knicks for over the last couple years, and it's fair to wonder if he's about to price himself out of New York.

Shamet has been a sharpshooter over the past two years, and his role is steadily getting larger. Mike Brown likes him, but the Knicks have several players making big money and capable of big minutes ahead of him.

Shamet is occupying a special position on the team that could be the difference-maker when it's all said and done. In that case, New York won't let him go. Still, it only takes one team willing to overpay to keep Leon Rose from giving James Dolan a bigger tax bill.