When watching the NBA Finals, there are plenty of players New Orleans Pelicans fans would dream of having on their favorite team. Whether it’s Jalen Brunson, Victor Wembanyama, Karl Anthony-Towns, OG Anunoby, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, etc. But we all know none of those are realistic options for the Pelicans, likely ever, but someone who could be a legit free agent option for New Orleans this summer is Landry Shamet.
The Knicks wing is on a one-year minimum contract, and considering New York is going to be pressed up against the luxury, they likely won’t be able to retain him this summer.Â
When you think of the ideal free agent target for this current Pelicans team, one skill stands above the rest, which is perimeter scoring. If what he’s accomplished in these playoffs holds any value to you, then it’s hard to argue that there are many shooters in the league better than Shamet.
New Orleans has a projected $15.1 million to spend as part of an MLE this summer, and Joe Dumars should heavily consider using a portion of it on Shamet.
Signing Landry Shamet should be a top priority
To some, the Shamet hype isn’t real. He isn’t a plus athlete, is okay at best defensively, isn’t a secondary creator or ball handler, and is truly just a pure three-point shooter.
However, to me, the key words there are pure three-point shooter, as over his career and specifically during this postseason run, fans have been reminded just how knockdown Shamet is. In his regular-season career, he is a 38.6 percent three-point shooter on just under three attempts per game. Adding that type of shooting to the Pelicans' second unit in the regular season would be a heck of an improvement from this past year, but the real intrigue comes with his playoff production.
In the past, we’ve seen players get hot in the postseason and ride that wave into a massive contract—but what Shamet’s doing is different. For most players, a hot three-point shooting stretch looks like between 40 and, in extreme cases, 45 percent. Shamet’s hitting the three-ball at a 56.3 percent clip since the start of the Conference Finals. That’s not a typo.
The way he has kicked his play into a different dimension this Knicks run is why every Pelicans fan should want him on their team for the start of the 2026-27 season. His ability to take things to a new level on the brightest possible stage can’t be overlooked. Going back to the Conference Finals, that series may not end the same way without him. In Game 1, he caps off a massive Knicks run and helps send things to overtime. Then in OT hits the dagger three to help New York complete the comeback win and crush the souls of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
For a Pelicans team that wants to be in the playoffs/play-in next season, having someone who flat-out isn’t afraid of the moment would be massive. Shamet has shown during this run that he’s the perfect mix between a regular-season and postseason player.Â
Landry Shamet embodies everything New Orleans should be looking for this summer in free agency, and if it costs an overpay to bring him to the Big Easy, so be it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google