Update on Landry Shamet’s Injury

CHARLOTTE – Following the concerning event where Landry Shamet’s shoulder popped out just four days ago, the official medical update on Wednesday turned out to be more positive than initially feared.

Shamet has been diagnosed with a sprained shoulder and is set to be re-evaluated in around four weeks, according to league authorities who mentioned that he has already started rehabilitation.

Although the injury isn’t as severe as last year’s dislocation, the recovery process still poses challenges with a lengthy timeline.

The Knicks had been depending heavily on Shamet during the season’s opening month, as Coach Mike Brown had been giving him significant minutes and trust on the court.

He seemed to be on the verge of a career comeback before his collision with Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. this past Saturday, which led to him exiting the game while visibly in pain.

This injury involves the same right shoulder that Shamet dislocated before the last season, making it vulnerable to dislocation without surgical intervention.

So what comes next? The news about the sprain suggests that he’s avoided the worst-case scenario of surgery, although it doesn’t guarantee a return in four weeks. The next update is expected around December 24th, depending on his rehabilitation progress.

Shamet will likely miss at least 11 more games, starting with the upcoming matchup against the Hornets. The Knicks are already short-handed, especially on defense, as they deal with OG Anunoby’s hamstring issues and Mitchell Robinson’s load management.

Notably, Shamet’s contract becomes guaranteed in early January, and the Knicks have until Jan. 7 to waive him without facing any penalties. If the team decides to release him, they’ll open up cap space for potential free agent signings. However, the options are quite limited until the buyout market opens up in February, despite Shamet showing effectiveness within the team’s system when healthy.