Rasheed Wallace out 8 Weeks After Foot Surgery

The New York Knicks have just learned they will be without backup power forward Rasheed Wallace for approximately eight weeks.

According to Nate Taylor of The New York Times, the veteran is electing to undergo surgery on his injured left foot, a procedure which will likely take two months to recover from.

It’s only a small blow to coach Mike Woodson’s potential frontcourt rotation, as Wallace has been out since mid-December dealing with this stress reaction.

The organization cleared up a roster spot on Feb. 21, the NBA’s trading deadline, by flipping the slumping Ronnie Brewer to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2014 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.

Perhaps having an inkling that ‘Sheed would not be back anytime soon, the Knickerbockers' brass extended a 10-day contract to 13-year veteran Kenyon Martin late last week.

K-Mart has yet to appear in any contests for New York, but his presence is something GM Glen Grunwald called “insurance” for the injury-prone bigs already on the roster.

Considering Wallace was only averaging 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in the 20 games he participated in—and logging just 14.6 minutes—there isn’t a huge void to fill here.

The Knicks were counting on ‘Sheed to play himself into shape and round into form for the playoffs—when his talents will be needed most.

Prior to this stint in the Big Apple, the 38-year-old last played in the 2010 NBA Finals, narrowly missing a championship ring as a member of the Boston Celtics.

Wallace is certainly capable of contributing at a high level when he’s healthy and in shape, so hopefully this surgery has him back on track to bolster the Knicks' lineup come the postseason.