WASHINGTON, DC — Knicks guard Landry Shamet suffered a dislocated right shoulder during Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets and did not travel with the team for the preseason finale against the Wizards on Friday .
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said Shamet is still processing information in order to make the best decision for his long-term health.
“It’s a dislocated shoulder, and he’s still gathering information on next steps,” Thibodeau said before tipoff Friday. “And obviously we feel very strongly about him and what he’s done. So no matter what, no matter what’s in front of you, if you have an injury, focus on that, focus on rehab, get ready to go.
Shamet’s injury puts the Knicks, who only have $3.35 million in space under the second apron to sign free agents, in a bind.
The sharpshooter isn’t expected to be re-evaluated for his injury for several weeks — but the Knicks must finalize their regular-season roster by Saturday, and Shamet is on a non-guaranteed contract.
“I don’t know what all the information is. So I’m going with what I have right now,” Thibodeau said when asked if the team would keep Shamet on the roster despite his injury. “It’s a dislocated shoulder. We are still gathering the information. And so we go from there, but he is already attacking his rehabilitation. So I like it, but it also needs more information. So take it step by step, take each day, look for improvement in the day, then whoever the next man is, get in there and do the work.
The Knicks have three options when it comes to Shamet’s eligibility for the regular season. They can keep him on the roster and wait until he’s healthy. They can waive him and keep a spot open, then re-sign him when he’s healthy. Or they can waive him and sign another free agent at the veteran minimum.
The Knicks can also waive Shamet and find a replacement on the trade market if they are willing to part with Mitchell Robinson and his $14.3 million salary.
It should be noted that Julius Randle dislocated his shoulder in a January 27 game against the Miami Heat, opted out of surgery, then suffered a setback on the court while rehabbing his injury and then underwent season-ending surgery.
The severity of Shamet’s shoulder injury remains unclear, but he has fans within the Knicks front office. The career 38.4 percent three-point shooter scored 16 points on four-of-eight shooting from downtown in the Knicks’ preseason opener in Charlotte against the Hornets, then added 13 extra points in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
That makes his availability on a veteran’s minimum intriguing, but Shamet’s injury history is also notable: He’s never played anywhere near a full 82-game season, though he’s appeared in 114 of the 144 possible regular season games in 2019. 20 and 2020-21 seasons shortened due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Knicks can attempt to hold down the fort in Shamet’s absence by placing either rookie Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet on the depth chart.
They can also turn to free agency, and one name recently added to the list is former Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV, who was left off the Boston Celtics training camp roster in mid-October.
