Knicks' Answer to Potential Landry Shamet Loss Already on the Roster

The New York Knicks did the hard part. Not only did they win their first championship in 53 years, but they have a title-worthy starting five locked in for what should be another shot to do it all again.

The focus of the offseason now will be deciding whether Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet will return. They'll have to figure all of this out while staying under the second apron, which is the official edict from James Dolan.

Shamet, in particular, will be an interesting case. He was paid the vet minimum heading into this season, and now played his way into a decent payday. There's no doubt that Shamet deserves it, but for a team that is looking to avoid that second apron entirely, there's a good chance that he isn't coming back next season.

If that does happen, they've at least cultivated some younger options who could be ready to step up.

Tyler Nickel, Mohamed Diawara part of Knicks' backup plans should Landry Shamet depart

Tyler Nickel, whom the Knicks drafted at 47, is one person who can attempt to fill Shamet's shoes. It's a tall order for a rookie, but he is an intriguing prospect with a skill set that holds some big similarities.

Nickel, a 6-foot-6 wing, is a prolific shooter. He shot 39.4% from three in 127 games between UNC, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. Nickel also shot 43.3% from the field and was 84.7% from the free throw line.

The marksman does not provide the same kind of on-ball defense that Shamet does, so he's not a perfect substitute. Nor does Nickel have much athleticism, which would help his potential on the defensive side of the ball.

However, consistently good three-point shooting is a massive premium in today's NBA. New York looked like an entirely different team when Shamet was knocking down even a couple of shots from deep during the playoffs. Nickel could easily do that for the team given his track record.

Tyler Nickel was UNCONCIOUS against Wake Forest 😳

26 PTS | 9-12 FG | 8-10 3PT | 3 BLK | 29 MIN pic.twitter.com/U1TuqEhWlI
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) December 21, 2025

This would not only draw opponents' attention out to the perimeter, but it'd also open up the rest of the half-court for his teammates, who could find easier looks. Nickel can also use his great off-ball awareness to get open when one of the Knicks get swarmed by the defense and hit easy shots to grow or even create leads.

Then there's Mohamed Diawara, who is already battle-tested in the league after an intriguing rookie season last year. Despite several DNPs during the playoffs and an ugly game in garbage time against the Hawks, Diawara did provide a spark for the Knicks during the regular season when Miles McBride went down.

His best game came against the Boston Celtics. Diawara logged 26 minutes and was 4-for-4 that game with two three-pointers. His defense was the difference in that game, though. Coach Mike Brown lauded Diawara as a Jaylen Brown stopper after the Knicks 111-89 win.

With great size (6-foot-9), length and shooting flashes, Diawara has all the tools to give the team what Shamet did—and even more, considering his ball-handling and playmaking instincts were not in Shamet's wheelhouse.

It would be a bit of a risk to throw Diawara directly into the fire and expect him to 100% replace a player who swung Finals games. But the second-year pro also stands out as the exact kind of successful project teams hope to see potential from in limited time, and that puts him directly in line to be given a role boost in 2026-27.

Losing both Robinson and Shamet would certainly leave the Knicks with a more youthful second unit. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean they are better off. Young players aren't something you can always count on.

However, the combination of Nickel and Diawara could get the job done. And just like the team did at last trade deadline, they can still explore adding veteran help down the line, if they feel reinforcements are needed.

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