The Knicks received some bad news on Friday (AEST) when they learned starting center Joakim Noah will be out for six months following right shoulder surgery, the team announced.
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Noah, a former All-Star centre, had similar surgery last season with the Bulls that limited him to 29 games.
He managed 46 appearances this season after signing a four-year, $72 million deal with the Knicks last summer.
The 32-year-old has been out of action since undergoing knee surgery in February. He was supposed to return to action in late March, but was suspended 20 games for testing positive for a supplement that contained Androgen, which is considered a performance-enhancing substance.
He will miss the first 12 games of the 2017-18 season due to the suspension.
Knicks fans will be keeping a close eye on Noah's progress throughout the off-season.
He is expected to be ready to start basketball activities before the start of next season.