The New York Knicks haven't had much success extending the contracts of some of their key players this offseason.

They did, however, lock up sharpshooter Landry Shamet to a four-year, $23.98 million deal — a bargain, according to Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green. 

"[The Knicks] just got [Shamet] for dirt cheap," he said on his podcast. "Dirt cheap is relative. This is the NBA, and [Shamet] is making millions of dollars... [But] they got him for cheap [compared] to what he could have made."

Both things are objectively true. For someone who shot 47.5 percent from three-point range on New York's postseason championship run last term, Shamet's reported $5,994,617 yearly salary would rank on the lower end among perimeter specialists.

If he had wanted to, he could have made significantly more elsewhere. However, Shamet chose to stay with the defending champions—a decision that could prove a curse in disguise.

Shamet turned down larger offers from outside suitors to remain in New York. His 'team-friendly' contract helped the Knicks retain flexibility and keep them below the second apron of the luxury tax.

The deal is an excellent one for the team; however, it is making things difficult on the other side of the sword.

Sure, the Knicks also retained Jose Alvarado (three-year deal), Jordan Clarkson (one-year deal), and Mohamed Diawara (multi-year deal). But they aren't making as much headway with players who would command larger sums of money.

Karl-Anthony Towns is in extension talks, but they have stalled because of a large gap in his future salary. Josh Hart has already said he doesn't expect an extension before the regular season begins because talks haven't progressed. Miles McBride — entering the final year of his current contract — is in a similar spot. On a smaller scale, Tyler Kolek is also extension-eligible. 

Owner James Dolan considers crossing the second apron threshold to be "suicidal," restricting how much the team can spend. That's one reason for the holdups. Another is the front office wanting to preserve financial flexibility ahead of the inevitable pay raise for superstar Jalen Brunson.

Brunson, in a way, started the trend that Shamet's new contract followed when he signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension with the Knicks in 2024 — leaving roughly $113 million on the table in what is widely considered one of the most team-friendly contracts in NBA history.

Had Brunson waited a year, he would have been eligible the following summer to sign a five-year, $269 million max extension as an unrestricted free agent.

Brunson's decision paid off, as the Knicks built a championship roster largely because of it. But on the flip side, the precedent may have led the Knicks to expect everyone to put the team first going forward. That's unrealistic.

Dolan and his front office face some tough decisions.

In an ideal world, no owner would want to pay an excessive luxury tax. However, when you get lucky and some role players are willing to take less money to re-sign, you should take advantage of it with your stars.

Shamet and Alvarado may be the glue, but Brunson, Towns, and Hart make it all go. If they aren't compensated properly, the Knicks' chances of keeping their title window open and repeating could dwindle because of discontent before anyone even leaves.