New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson broke his right pinky finger and had surgery recently. The team hopes he can play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, sources confirmed to The Athletic. How Robinson got injured remains unclear.

The injury news came as the Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, having swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. Robinson’s absence would impact New York greatly. The Knicks await either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs, with their Game 7 scheduled for Saturday. The Spurs feature tall players like Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, while the Thunder have Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein.

As the longest-serving player on the Knicks’ roster, Robinson was a leader in offensive rebounds in the regular season, placing fourth in the NBA with 4.2 per game and leading with a 20.1 percent offensive rebounding rate.

Robinson’s career has seen many injuries. He appeared in only 31 games in the 2023-24 season and 17 in the 2024-25 season because of an ankle injury. He proved crucial in the playoffs last season, helping the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years, thanks to his defensive and rebounding skills. Robinson played 60 games this season, the most since the 2021-22 season, as the Knicks followed an injury management plan to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Throughout the current postseason, Robinson missed just one game. However, his playing time dropped due to struggles at the free-throw line. He hits only 30.2 percent of his free throws, prompting opponents to foul him and disrupt the Knicks’ strong offense.

New York’s third-string center, second-year player Ariel Hukporti, saw limited action this season, logging just 498 minutes.