Landry Shamet was officially listed as out for Monday’s game against the Nets with a sprained right shoulder, although it’s safe to assume that further testing will paint a more complete picture of the severity of his injury — or, more importantly, the answer to whether he’ll need surgery.
Shamet appeared to dislocate his shoulder after absorbing a hard screen from Wendell Carter Jr. in the first quarter of Saturday’s loss to the Magic.
Afterward, Knicks coach Mike Brown said Shamet would undergo a full evaluation in the “coming days.”
And for the 28-year-old guard, there’s a lot riding on the results.
Assuming the diagnosis is a dislocated shoulder, Shamet can either opt for season-ending surgery or try to rehab and return sooner.
Shamet dislocated his shoulder a little over a year ago and chose the nonsurgical route, playing again after a couple of months.
However, the decision left Shamet’s shoulder susceptible to popping out again, which is what appeared to occur Saturday.
Shamet’s contract is not guaranteed until early January, so surgery would likely force the Knicks to waive him.
Even if Shamet chooses the nonsurgical route again, a long recovery would place the Knicks in a tough position.
They are short on reliable bodies and could potentially use Shamet’s roster spot for a free agent, or perhaps in a trade.
Mikal Bridges, who is close with Shamet, said he spoke with his buddy soon after the injury.
“I saw him at halftime,” Bridges said. “He said he was OK. As long as he’s OK — his mental is OK. He knows more than me, but he’s in good spirits.”
“Obviously, we know how valuable he is,” Bridges added when asked how the team will compensate for Shamet’s absence. “But it’s next guy. Next guy has to step up. A lot of guys in the locker room that’s ready. Just next man up, honestly.”
Following Shamet’s injury, Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara logged more minutes than usual.
Miles McBride, who missed Saturday’s game because of an illness, was not listed on the injury report for the game in Brooklyn.
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