Knicks Guard Sends Message After Injury

Landry Shamet appears to be starting this season on a different kind of New York Knicks roster: the injury report.

Shamet unintentionally put a damper on the Tuesday proceedings at Madison Square Garden, which saw the Knicks’ reserves defeat a Charlotte Hornets group at mostly full strength.

The 111-105 victory was marred by Shamet’s early exit, as he suffered an apparent shoulder injury while guarding a Moussa Diabate drive in the third quarter. A visibly pained Shamet was immediately escorted to the Knicks’ locker room by the training staff and did not return.

While there’s no official update or diagnosis, an Instagram offering from Shamet hints at a lengthy recovery process, though the veteran sounds confident that he’ll take the floor this season. The post, uploaded late Wednesday night, depicts a silhouetted Shamet clad in his Knicks uniform bearing the No. 44.

“Appreciate all of the prayers and well wishes,” Shamet said in the accompanying caption. “This is just the next obstacle and to be afraid of an obstacle would go against everything that I am — I welcome them. I’m attacking this rehab. Back soon.”

Shamet, 27, was working on an Exhibit 9 contract after spending last season with the Washington Wizards. While his contract was not guaranteed, Shamet appeared destined for a spot in the Knicks’ second unit, playing healthy minutes in each of the Knicks’ first three preseason games. He was in the starting lineup on Tuesday and averaged 10.8 points over his exhibition quartet.

Shamet began his career as Philadelphia’s first-round pick in 2018 before repping Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Phoenix, and Washington. With his departure, the Knicks could look to sign a veteran at league minimum or perhaps open the competition in-house with names such as Chuma Okeke and TJ Warren.

“I was hot because he was just now getting going,” fellow former Phoenix Sun/Philadelphia 76er Cameron Payne said on Tuesday, per Steve Popper of Newsday. “Initially, I didn’t think it was that serious. But man, I’m sending a prayer to him.”

“That’s been my guy for a few years so it was kind of hard to see him go out there and what they told us happened. It just kind of [stinks] with the season just around the corner and how much work you put in. It’s just sad to see it happen like that, especially in a preseason game.”

New York (4-0) will close out its preseason slate on Friday night in Washington (7 p.m. ET, MSG).

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