Josh Hart will not undergo the surgery previously expected to fix the injury to his right ring finger. The New York Knicks guard said Thursday that he plans to play through the pain for the rest of his career after learning that the required procedure would involve a full joint replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t have the banging, repetitive (motion). Grabbing a rebound, palming it, shooting, catching the ball, doing all that: You can\u2019t do that. So, if I did a joint replacement, then I wouldn\u2019t be able to play,\u201d Hart said after a team practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 31-year-old, who is coming off an NBA championship, has no plans to retire. Instead, he will continue protecting the injured finger with a splint or tape, just as he did throughout the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hart suffered the injury during the 2025 Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers. He underwent surgery during the offseason following the series but aggravated the finger during a summer inter-squad scrimmage while defending Knicks teammate Mikal Bridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the beginning of the 2025-26 season, Hart explained that the plan was to play the entire campaign wearing protective gear before undergoing a second procedure during the following offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, doctors gave him different news this summer. A full joint replacement was necessary to fix the problem, but the procedure would prevent him from continuing his professional basketball career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI guess it\u2019s either wrap it till I retire (or) cut it off,\u201d Hart said. \u201cI guess that\u2019s the other option. So that\u2019s really the only alternative: either joint replacement, let it go, or amputation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hart’s right ring finger is visibly deformed, with the bones pointing in different directions. Knicks head coach Mike Brown even joked about its appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJosh, he\u2019s a handsome man,\u201d Brown said. \u201cBut that finger is uggglyyy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The injury has also caused significant discomfort. It affected a nerve, and Hart said that during last season there were occasions when his hand went numb while playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome days, it\u2019ll be good. Some days it\u2019ll hurt to catch the ball,\u201d Hart said. \u201cIt varies. I wish I could tell you when I wake up, what\u2019s gonna be good, what\u2019s gonna be bad. Some days it\u2019s good, like a regular functioning finger; and other days, it hurts to just close my hand, to make a fist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hart added that he will probably undergo the joint replacement once he retires, hopefully allowing him to straighten the finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the ongoing problem, Hart produced the best shooting season of his career in 2025-26. He made a career-high 41% of his three-point attempts during the regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His effective field-goal percentage, which accounts for the additional value of three-pointers compared with two-pointers, was also the highest of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All of this came while the finger injury continued to deteriorate, according to Hart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe joint and the bone and everything,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what it will be. So I\u2019ll do (the joint replacement) probably when I retire. Hopefully I can make (my finger) straight. It\u2019s a little off-center if y\u2019all didn\u2019t realize. So I\u2019m hoping after that joint replacement, it can get a little straighter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hart is eligible for a contract extension with New York, although he expressed doubts about reaching an agreement during the team’s media day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Knicks are scheduled to pay him $43.3 million over the next two seasons, including a $22.4 million team option for 2027-28.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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