The Knicks lost their primary bench scoring punch for the rest of the playoffs.
Bojan Bogdanovic will be “re-evaluated in three months” after he undergoes surgery to his left foot, the team announced Tuesday.
The 35-year-old, acquired at the February trade deadline, suffered the injury in Sunday’s victory over the 76ers.
He was chasing a loose ball alongside Sixers wing Nic Batum, who dove and landed on Bogdanovic’s leg.
Bogdanovic limped to the locker room and won’t return until next season.
According to The Athletic, Bogdanovic will also undergo surgery on his left wrist, which was listed as “sprained” toward the end of the regular season and throughout the playoffs.
An MRI exam uncovered ligament damage in the wrist, a source confirmed.
“Really unfortunate. He was really playing well for us,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Injuries are part of the game. Great game. Great worker…. Just unfortunate.”
Thibodeau said he didn’t know the specific injury Bogdanovic sustained on his foot or whether the forward will be healthy for training camp in the late summer. An update is expected Wednesday.
In Tuesday’s Game 5 loss, Thibodeau never replaced Bogdanovic in the rotation and just used seven players. Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride were the only two reserves, and they combined for 16 points — including 14 from McBride.
Precious Achuiwa and Alec Burks collected healthy DNPs.
Burks, who was acquired in the same trade with the Pistons involving Bogdanovic, has logged a minute in the playoffs.
According to a source, the Knicks traded for Burks with the intention of playing him as a Thibodeau favorite from his previous seasons with the team.
But McBride exceeded expectations and took all the reserve guard minutes.
Bogdanovic was among the heroes in New York’s two victories last week at MSG.
He dropped 13 points off the bench in Game 1 and knocked down a pair of momentum-shifting treys in the fourth quarter of Game 2.
Following a dud in a Game 3 loss, he lasted just 91 seconds of Game 4 before the injury.
The Knicks still won with Achiuwa contributing important bench minutes and Jalen Brunson setting the franchise’s single-game playoff scoring record with 47 points.
Bogdanovic will join Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby as the Knicks to undergo in-season surgery. Robinson and Anunoby both returned.
“You hate to see anyone get hurt. But it’s been our reality all season. Julius being out. Mitch being out. Isaiah [Hartenstein] being out [with Achilles tendinitis],” Thibodeau said. “Next guy get in there and get the job done, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
In the long term, Bogdanovic has just $2 million of his $19 million guaranteed for next season, according to Spotrac.
Although he’s probably not worth $19 million and could be waived to send the Croatian into free agency, the Knicks can pick up the option to use in a trade to match salaries.
That flexibility was an emphasis for the Knicks at the trade deadline, according to sources.