New York Knicks forward Josh Hart has confirmed that the hand issue he has been fighting is far more serious than he first believed, revealing nerve damage throughout his entire right shooting hand, not just in a single finger. The problem affects his fourth finger the most, but also causes his middle and pinky fingers to lose feeling throughout games and even in daily tasks like typing or picking things up.
“My nerve hasn’t fully gotten back to what it was before,” Hart said. “There’s a little bit of tingling, a little bit of numbness in part of my hand. Hopefully, at some point, that nerve will get back, hopefully sooner rather than later. Right now, it’s a process.”
- Josh Hart says he has nerve damage in his whole shooting hand, causing numbness in the fourth, middle, and pinky fingers.
- Doctors recommended a surgery that would sideline him for two to three months, but Hart plans to wait until after the season.
- The injury led to a slow start, a new role off the bench, and adaptation under new Knicks head coach Mike Brown.
Injury Timeline and Delayed Surgery Decision
Hart originally injured the hand during last season’s playoff run. He had surgery in July after the Knicks’ postseason ended and spent the summer recovering, only to reinjure the hand during a pickup session before training camp. He reached for the ball on defense, felt sharp pain, and doctors again recommended surgery that would sideline him for two to three months. With high team expectations, Hart decided to delay the procedure.
“It’ll probably be a process until I get full feeling back,” he said. “The hand will be what it is. I’m working (on shooting) all the time. That’ll come along. I’m not getting surgery.”
Betting Markets React to Injury and Early Season Results
The Knicks opened the season following an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, and sportsbooks positioned them among the league’s top contenders. As Hart played through the injury, betting markets adjusted his player props while maintaining strong futures pricing for the team.
FanDuel listed the Knicks at +1100 to win the NBA title. Across major operators tracked on a Vegas-based odds screen, New York ranged between +850 and +1300. On ESPN’s futures board, the Knicks were +330 to win the Eastern Conference. New York was also posted as the -180 favorite to win the Atlantic Division and +1600 to win the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Sportsbooks lowered expectations for Hart’s individual offensive output. Recent player-prop closing lines placed his points total between 7.5 and 9.5 and his points-plus-assists line between 10.5 and 13.5, reflecting measured scoring and playmaking projections as he plays through numbness and adjusting usage.
Game markets indicated continued confidence in the Knicks overall. For the Nov. 3 matchup against Washington, New York closed as a -12.5 favorite with a 234.5 total. For the Nov. 5 home game against Minnesota at Madison Square Garden, odds boards listed the matchup ahead of posting final pricing.
Performance Timeline and Role Adjustment
After appearing briefly in New York’s preseason opener in Abu Dhabi, Josh Hart was sidelined for the rest of exhibition play due to a back problem, and the same issue forced him to miss the Knicks’ first regular-season game. Once he returned, his opening stretch produced 11 total points on 4-of-19 shooting, including 1-for-10 from beyond the arc across his first four outings.
Hart delivered a stronger showing on October 31, 2025, when New York defeated the Chicago Bulls 128-116 at the United Center to halt a three-game losing skid. In that matchup, he finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
“For me, I’m going through some adversity myself, physically and mentally, so my biggest thing today was going out there and playing with energy,” he said. “Just getting back to being myself.”
Jalen Brunson, who led New York with 31 points, acknowledged the performance.
“I saw Josh Hart,” Brunson said. “The one we know and love.”
Despite shooting 1-for-4 from three in that contest, Hart delivered his most productive outing of the season to that point.
Role Adjustment Under Mike Brown
Now playing under new head coach Mike Brown, Hart has moved into a full-time bench role after previously starting under Tom Thibodeau. Rather than expressing frustration, he has embraced the change and the uncertainty that comes with it.
“I’m cool with not starting,” Hart said. “That’s what I want to do for the season. For me, there’s a different way to approach it mentally. Obviously, when you have guys who are questionable and a game-time decision, then my role might be different and I might not know what my role is until there’s an hour on the clock or 35 minutes on the clock.”
Brown praised Hart’s effort and ability to fight through discomfort, while saying that he wasn’t initially aware of the full extent of the nerve issue.
“That’s news to me,” Brown said. “[VP of Sports Medicine] Casey [Smith] has handled as best he can, and Josh has, too. He had 14 and 9 tonight, so if he’s healthy, ‘Oh my gosh. Look out.’ He’s playing fine. Again, he’s missed a lot of time, so he’s playing catch-up, and he’s doing a heck of a job playing catch-up for us.”
