Knicks Lose Josh Hart for Jazz Game

The New York Knicks are in the middle of a rough Western road trip, and now they have to navigate part of it without one of their most reliable starters. Josh Hart has been ruled out against the Utah Jazz with left knee soreness.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Post confirmed Hart is out. He was first listed as questionable, then downgraded to doubtful earlier today, and has now been ruled out entirely.

Josh Hart is out tonight.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 11, 2026

Hart has been dealing with a string of injuries this season, including a right ankle issue on Christmas Day, a back contusion, and now left knee soreness.

The knee soreness appears to have flared up after Hart played 37 minutes in the Knicks' loss to the Clippers, which was the second night of a back-to-back. That is a lot of minutes for someone who was already managing his body on a long road swing.

Hart is averaging 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists this season. He is not a flashy player, but he does all the little things that hold a lineup together. Against a Jazz team that has six players out and is deep in tank mode, someone else will just get an easy night to fill in.

Per James L. Edwards III, that someone is Landry Shamet, who will start in Hart's place tonight.

Landry Shamet will start in place of the injured Josh Hart.
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) March 12, 2026

Hart's Shooting Has Dipped, But His Impact Has Not

The scoring numbers have not been great lately. Since February 1, Hart is averaging 10.4 points per game, down from his season average of 11.8. The three-point shot has been inconsistent too. But look beyond the scoring and the story changes.

Over that same stretch, he is averaging 6.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He is still getting to the right spots, still making the extra pass, and still doing the dirty work on the boards that most guards simply do not do.

His last game against the Clippers was actually a good example of that. He scored 12 points on efficient shooting, but the real line was 13 rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes. That is a load for someone managing an injury.

Landry Shamet will get the start tonight, but this is not really about Shamet stepping up. It is about the Knicks being smart with Hart's body before the games actually start to matter.

With the playoffs coming and Indiana waiting, getting Hart healthy matters more than this game. A night off against a team that is actively trying to lose might be the best thing for him right now.

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