The minutes and expanded roles could be fleeting.
The encouraging contributions — defensively for Delon Wright, offensively for Landry Shamet — could disappear once Jalen Brunson returns from the sprained ankle that has sidelined him since March 7, Miles McBride returns from the left groin strain that has sidelined him since March 20, and Cam Payne returns from the ankle sprain that has sidelined him since Friday.
But for now, Wright — acquired in the Jericho Sims deal with the Bucks ahead of the trade deadline — and Shamet, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, have continued to string together strong performances and make cases to carve out some semblance of a small role even after the Knicks rotation reaches full strength again.
Wright, 32, could start a third consecutive game when the Knicks host the 76ers at the Garden with Brunson, McBride and Payne all ruled out, while Shamet has collected double-digit points in three of their past four games and capitalized on increased attempts.
For most of the season, the Knicks’ depth was viewed as a weakness, but in recent games, they have relied on it to survive.
“He’s doing exactly what we need him to do,” Josh Hart said of Shamet on Sunday after the Knicks defeated the Trail Blazers. “We love him being aggressive. We love him knocking down shots. And we need that to continue. Loving how he’s playing right now and continuing to give us energy.”
Over the past four games, Shamet has shot 51.7 percent from the field and 45 percent beyond the arc. Payne’s absence also allowed Wright to earn consecutive starts and go from logging minimal court time — or none at all — to collecting over 30 minutes each in the wins against the Bucks and Trail Blazers.
He compiled 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks across those two games, but with defense and deflections forming the crux of his NBA reputation Wright, as a 6-foot-5 guard, has emerged as an intriguing option for the Knicks to turn to for a spark off the bench in the playoffs, if Tom Thibodeau decides to use an expanded rotation for limited minutes.
“He’s got great size at his position,” Thibodeau said of Wright. “That’s his gift, is his defense, and he gets a lot of deflections. He’s very good off the ball. It allows you to do more switching, so he has a great impact on the game. Plays hard on every possession.”
The Knicks plan to sign 39-year-old wing PJ Tucker to a two-year deal — with a team option for 2025-26 — after his pair of 10-day contracts expired, according to ESPN.
He only logged two minutes during his pair of deals, making a cameo during the loss to the Spurs on March 19.
But Tucker — who has also appeared in games for the Suns, Rockets, 76ers, Raptors, Heat, Clippers and Bucks during a lengthy NBA career that started when he was a second-round pick in 2006 — will now be eligible to play for the Knicks throughout the postseason.
Tyrese Maxey (finger), Kelly Oubre Jr. (knee) and Andre Drummond (toe) were ruled out for Tuesday’s game. Kyle Lowry (right hip) was listed as questionable.
Joel Embiid and Paul George have already been ruled out for the rest of the season.
