New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has been diagnosed with a broken right pinky finger and has no timeline for a return, according to The Athletic. It's unclear when Robinson suffered the injury or whether he'll be ready for Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Wednesday against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.
Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, has dealt with injury issues throughout his career but was largely healthy this season. He appeared in 60 games -- the first time he reached that mark since the 2021-22 season -- and averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 72.3% shooting as the team's backup center.
While Robinson's playing time and production have decreased slightly in the playoffs, due in part to poor free-throw shooting that makes it difficult to keep him on the floor in certain situations, he's still been a big part of the Knicks' success. He's put up 5.3 points and 5.5 rebounds on 73.7% shooting in 14.2 minutes, and has been the only big man to see regular playing time off the bench.
If Robinson is unable to play in the Finals, the Knicks would likely turn to second-year center Ariel Hukporti to back up Karl-Anthony Towns. The little-used Hukporti has only appeared in 79 career games and has played just 70 minutes in the playoffs.
The Knicks, who are in the Finals for the first time since 1999, have been dominant in the postseason. They've won 11 straight games dating back to Game 4 of the first round, when they trailed the Atlanta Hawks 2-1. They then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round and Eastern Conference Finals to represent the East in the Finals.
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