New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith underwent surgery to repair his damaged patella tendon and a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, the Knicks announced on Monday. Recovery from the operation is projected to sideline Smith for 12-16 weeks, which could put his status for the start of next season in jeopardy.
J.R. Smith injury: Knicks guard out 12-16 weeks after knee surgery
The Knicks will be without the reigning Sixth Man of the Year for the rest of the offseason.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
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Knicks officials said the damage to Smith's knee was "chronic and gradually worsened." Smith first started having trouble with his knee in early March, but after a productive April the injury flared up again in the playoffs. Smith's statistics dropped across the board in the postseason as New York was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the second round. He averaged 14.3 points on 33 percent shooting in 11 playoff games.
Smith and the Knicks reached a new four-year, $24.5 million contract earlier this month. Smith, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, will turn 28 years old in September.
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