Nov 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; General view of the in-season tournament court logo during warmups before a game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks’ Surprising Second Addition Sets Up Intriguing Camp Battle

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 7:43 PM ET

Garrison Mathews will be the second player to join the New York Knicks on Thursday.

The reports of Mathews landing a deal with the Knicks came shortly after it was revealed that Landry Shamet would finally earn a new deal with the team.

via @SbondyNBA: The Knicks plan on signing Garrison Mathews to a training camp deal, the Post has learned. He’s expected to compete for a roster spot.

The Knicks plan on signing Garrison Mathews to a training camp deal, the Post has learned. He’s expected to compete for a roster spot.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) September 11, 2025

With neither deal offering the additions a guarantee, the Knicks will have the flexibility to choose between the sharpshooters they brought in.

Mathews has been around the NBA since 2019. Prior to entering the draft, the veteran wrapped up a four-year run at Lipscomb. He played 134 games in the NCAA, starting 112 of them. During that stretch, Mathews averaged 18.5 points per game, shooting 37 percent from deep.

During his senior season, Mathews hit on 40 percent of his threes, averaging 20.8 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Being from a small school, Mathews didn’t land in the 2019 NBA Draft. He signed a two-way contract with the Wizards right after the event took place.

Throughout his first two seasons in the NBA, Mathews played for the Wizards. He appeared in 64 games during his sophomore effort.

During the 2021 offseason, Mathews signed with the Boston Celtics, but didn’t make the team after trainng camp. The Houston Rockets claimed him off waivers, giving him a two-way contract. Eventually, Mathews landed a standard contract.

Mathews spent two seasons with the Rockets. Just 45 games into his second run with the Rockets, Mathews was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. He ended up sticking around with the Hawks for the past two seasons.

Last year, Mathews came off the bench for all but two of the 47 games he played. Seeing the court for 17.7 minutes per game, Mathews put up 7.5 points per game, while shooting 38 percent from the field.

Mathews and Shamet came in the league around the same time. They’ve both established themselves as consistent three-point shooters. Shamet might have the upper hand in this battle since he played with the Knicks last year, but Mathews is certainly expected to get a fair shake.

In 398 games, Shamet has averaged over 20 minutes on the floor during his past stretches. He averaged 8.3 points, while shooting 39 percent from the field throughout his career. With the Knicks last season, Shamet averaged 5.7 points. He shot the ball at a career-high clip of 46 percent from the field, and knocked down 40 percent of his threes.