Knicks lose key bench piece to serious shoulder injury

New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet suffered a serious shoulder injury in their 111-105 preseason victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, a significant blow to not only him individually but to the Knicks’ bench.

Knicks’ Landry Shamet left Tuesday’s game with a shoulder injury

Shamet injured his right shoulder reaching for a steal on an entry pass during the third quarter. He looked to be in serious pain right away and was escorted to the locker room. He would not return to the game. He finished the game with eight points in 20 minutes of action and was given the start with New York resting all of their starters.

Before the injury, he looked to be in a great position to make the active roster and be a staple in the Knicks’ bench. Shamet is currently signed to an Exhibit 9 deal, meaning that his contract is non-guaranteed.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau has praised the veteran guard throughout the preseason and said that Shamet has “had a terrific camp” (h/t New York Daily News’ Kristian Winfield).

Now, the Knicks will likely have to try to replace him on the active roster and potentially his spot in the rotation. They will miss his exceptional shooting ability, as the expectation was that he was going to essentially replace Donte DiVincenzo after he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal earlier this month.

TJ Warren is a strong candidate to replace Shamet on the regular season roster

The injury to Shamet gives veteran wing TJ Warren an opportunity to crack a spot in the rotation. Warren is also on a non-guaranteed deal but has shown that he is capable of being a solid depth piece so far in the preseason. He scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action Tuesday night against Charlotte.

Warren could be a serviceable backup wing for the Knicks, as the bench lacks size and athleticism overall. The veteran can provide that athleticism in the second unit, and his level of experience could be beneficial for a second unit that is mostly filled with young players still developing their skill sets.

Of course, the Knicks can also hold onto Shamet’s contract while he rehabs and have him stay on the regular season roster. However, it is unclear if they are willing to do that as this would leave them very shorthanded on the bench, so he could get waived to save cap space while also not giving up a key spot in the rotation.

More will be known about Shamet’s long-term outlook leading up to Friday’s preseason finale against the Washington Wizards, but it is increasingly clear that they will be without him for the foreseeable future to start the new season.