Knicks lose key bench contributor for the rest of the postseason

The injury woes continue to pile on for the New York Knicks, this time losing crucial reserve and mid-season acquisition Bojan Bogdanovic.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Bogdanovic will undergo season-ending foot and wrist surgeries.

Knicks lose Bojan Bogdanovic for the rest of the postseason

New York will be without Bogdanovic, a vital bench scorer and floor-spacing wing, for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs -- a brutal blow for the Knicks as they look to close out the first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bogdanovic had been dealing with the left wrist injury for weeks. But he injured his foot in his first minute of checking into Game 4 against the 76ers when competing for a loose ball with Philadelphia wing Nicolas Batum, who attempted to dive on the ball and landed on the foot/ankle of the former, who was visibly in pain before limping off the floor and heading to the locker room.

The Knicks landed Bogdanovic as part of a deal with the Detroit Pistons ahead of this year's trade deadline in exchange for veteran sharpshooter Evan Fournier, promising young two-guard Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono, two future second-round picks, and cash considerations. 

While the stats don't necessarily jump off the screen, Bogdanovic has been a crucial contributor off the bench for the Knicks, with the mere threat of his three-point shooting ability creating space and opening up driving lanes for All-Star floor general Jalen Brunson and company. Moreover, he has drilled some timely buckets for New York in their steel cage grudge match versus the Sixers. He has averaged six points and three rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game through the first four games of the series, shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

In addition to already being without All-Star big man Julius Randle for the year, Bogdanovic now joins him, and the health of center Mitchell Robinson remains in question after he suffered an ankle injury in Game 3.

As we've seen throughout the course of the season with this Knicks team, it is a next-man-up mentality. Veteran combo guard Alec Burks, who was also part of the trade that brought Bogdanovic to New York but has yet to make an appearance in the playoffs, will likely get the first crack at filling the void off the bench.

Entering the final year of the two-year, $39 million contract he signed with the Pistons, the Knicks are hopeful that Bogdanovic will fully recover ahead of the 2024-25 season.