New York Knicks' shooting guard Josh Hart has not played basketball since being injured in the first preseason contest against the Philadelphia 76ers in Abu Dhabi last week. He has sat out of practice all week and according to reports in considered day-to-day.
Hart still suffers from the back ailment he sustained against the 76ers and is also recovering from an undisclosed illness, according to the Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News.
Hart's latest game missed was a 100-95 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Knicks acquired Hart in a trade deadline deal in Feb. 2023 with the Portland Trail Blazers. Hart was a favorite of former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau. He became a full-time starter last season as New York advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. It marked the first time in 25 years the Knicks reached that far in the NBA Playoffs.
He played in 77 games last season and logged an average of 37.6 minutes. He scored 13.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. Hart also dished out 5.9 assists per game.
Hart is currently playing under a four-year, $80.9 million contract extension he signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2023. The Knicks possess a $22.4 million team option for his last year in 2027.
The Knicks, with a healthy Thomas, are among the favorites in the Eastern Conference as the perennial contenders, the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers, both lost All-NBA players to season-killing injuries in the playoffs. Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers both suffered torn Achilles tendon injuries in the postseason.
It has not been decided if Hart will dress for the preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.
“I don’t even know — I just get told he’s out because he’s sick or this or that,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “I was told he was out because he was sick. He wasn’t here [in practice].”