Jalen Brunson is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left wrist after playing through the injury during the New York Knicks' run to the 2026 NBA championship, according to multiple reports.
The injury adds another layer to Brunson's postseason for New York. He was named Finals MVP after leading the Knicks to their first NBA title in more than 50 years, doing so while carrying an issue in the wrist of his shooting hand.
Brunson is expected to return to the court later this summer, which points to a relatively short recovery timeline if the rehab process stays on course. The specific nature of the wrist injury was not immediately clear.
The Knicks are not expected to lose him for the buildup to the 2026-27 season if the recovery follows that schedule. For a defending champion, that is the central roster point attached to the surgery: Brunson's availability for training camp is not currently expected to be affected.
Brunson averaged 28.1 points, 6.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds during the playoffs. He shot 46.5 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from 3-point range and 84.6 percent at the line while handling a heavy role throughout New York's title run.
The Knicks went 16-3 in the postseason, with Brunson averaging just under 37 minutes per game. Those numbers already reflected one of the NBA's most dominant recent championship runs before the wrist injury became part of the record.
New York's offseason has been relatively quiet after the championship. Mitchell Robinson left for Boston, and the Knicks replaced him with Andre Drummond while also re-signing Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado to keep much of the bench group together.
If Brunson returns by the end of the summer, the Knicks can enter the next stage of their title defense close to full strength. They are trying to become the first NBA team since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 to win back-to-back championships.