The Knicks are coming off their first championship in 53 years, and the roster mostly stayed intact. But three main issues could shape how smooth the title defense actually goes.
None of them are roster moves. They’re health and depth questions that won’t fully resolve until games start counting again in October.
Why Jalen Brunson’s Wrist Is Still a StorylineGetty3 Major Problems Could Threaten the Knicks’ Title DefenseBrunson played through a wrist injury for most of the 2026 playoffs before having surgery on July 7. He first felt it acting up in Game 2 of the East finals, and it never stopped him from delivering one of the great postseason runs in franchise history.
“I was obviously able to play through it,” Brunson said. “I’ll be in this for about another six weeks, and then from that point on, it’s just my rehab after that, but I should be good. I should be good.”
That six to eight week window closes right around now, so he should already be moving into basketball activity with camp still three to four weeks away. Still, that wrist controls his shooting motion and ball handling, the two things that make him nearly impossible to guard. There’s no real buffer left if the recovery hits any bump, and the Knicks need him at full strength from night one.
The Josh Hart Injury Knicks Fans Should WatchGettyKnicks’ Championship Defense Faces 3 Huge Questions Before OctoberBrunson at least chose to get his procedure over with. Hart is taking the opposite approach with a nerve injury of his own. His issue is damage in his right ring finger, an injury from the 2025 playoffs that flared up again before last season even started. He played through it anyway, wearing a splint the entire year.
Doctors recommended surgery that would have cost him two to three months. Hart said no.
“No, I’ll let it go,” Hart said, as per Posting and Toasting. “At the end of my career, when I’m done hooping, I’ll probably have to get a joint replacement in it, but for now it’s fine.”
That’s a lot of risk for a guy who does the physical dirty work every single night. Feeling still hasn’t fully returned to his hand, and he’s choosing to keep playing through it anyway.
Breaking Down the Knicks Center Depth ProblemGetty3 Hidden Problems Could Make the Knicks’ Title Defense Much HarderBrunson and Hart are health questions the Knicks can’t control. The center spot is different, since that one comes down to a roster decision the front office already made. Mitchell Robinson left for Boston this summer, and the Knicks replaced him with Andre Drummond on a one-year deal.
Karl-Anthony Towns is still the main player here, coming off a season where he averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds. Behind him is where things get thin. Drummond is a proven rebounder, but he’s a clear downgrade from Robinson as a rim protector and finisher. He’s also 33 and has his own durability questions.
If Towns needs a night off, or worse, misses real time, the drop-off behind him is steep. Right now the Knicks don’t have a reliable third center on the roster. New York tried to fix that by signing Moussa Cisse away from Dallas, but the Mavericks matched the offer.
None of these three issues are guaranteed to become real problems once the season tips off. But Brunson’s wrist, Hart’s hand and a shallow center rotation are all things Knicks fans should keep an eye on as training camp approaches.
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