N'Faly Dante is out with a right knee injury, according to the Knicks' Monday injury report, filed shortly after he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the team on Saturday. The center will not be available when New York opens its season on the road against the 76ers on Oct. 5.
What happened
The Knicks listed center N'Faly Dante as out with a right knee injury on the Monday, Sep. 28 injury report, filed at 7:39 PM ET. No previous status was listed for him. According to the report, Dante signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks on Saturday. The issue is logged as a knee problem under the leg category, on the right side. The report does not detail how the injury occurred or its severity beyond the out designation.
What it means for the Knicks
New York opens its season on the road at the 76ers on Monday, Oct. 5 at 7:00 PM ET, and Dante will not be available. Last season he appeared in four games for the Knicks, averaging 3.9 minutes, 0.8 points and 1.8 rebounds, so his absence is a marginal loss in raw production. The Knicks have not played a regular-season game yet this season, so there is no record with or without him to cite. Front-court minutes in his absence project to go through Karl-Anthony Towns, who averaged 31.0 minutes and 20.1 points, and Mitchell Robinson, who averaged 19.6 minutes and 5.7 points, based on recent box scores.
What to watch
The Knicks' next injury report will update Dante's status as the opener approaches. He is expected back Nov. 2, according to the report's listing, which would keep him out for New York's first several games, including the Oct. 5 opener at the 76ers. Teammates Drew Eubanks (thumb) and Mohamed Diawara (finger) are also listed day-to-day on the same report.
Is N'Faly Dante playing at 76ers on Oct. 5?
No. He is out with a right knee injury, per the Knicks' injury report, and will not play in New York's season opener at Philadelphia on Monday, Oct. 5.
When will N'Faly Dante be back?
His expected return is listed as Nov. 2, 2026, according to the injury report.