Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks' NBA Finals MVP, has undergone surgery on his left wrist and is expected to resume basketball activities later this summer, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The procedure was performed on the point guard's shooting wrist, yet the injury did not prevent Brunson from delivering a historic postseason performance that ended the franchise's 52-year championship drought. The 29-year-old left-handed floor general averaged 32.6 points in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, capping the series with a 45-point outburst in Game 5 that secured the Knicks' first title since 1973.
In Game 4, Brunson orchestrated a record-setting 29-point comeback before finishing with 36 points, erasing what had been the largest deficit ever overcome in an NBA Finals game. That performance shifted the momentum of the series and set the stage for the championship-clinching victory on the road in San Antonio two days later.
Brunson's wrist issue had been managed throughout the playoffs as he carried the Knicks through three grueling rounds. After averaging 28.3 points in the regular season, he elevated his game in the postseason, emerging as the clear frontrunner for playoff MVP honors. The surgery was first reported by SNY, and the Knicks have not issued an official statement regarding the procedure or Brunson's recovery timeline, though team sources indicate optimism about a full recovery before training camp.
The decision to operate came after the championship run concluded, with the medical staff determining that the procedure would allow Brunson to enter the 2026-27 season at full strength. New York will open the campaign as defending champions, a status that brings both pressure and expectation for a franchise that has not held the title since the days of Walt Frazier and Willis Reed.
Brunson has been the linchpin of the Knicks' resurgence since signing as a free agent in 2023, transforming the team from a perennial playoff contender into a legitimate championship organization. His leadership, work ethic, and clutch scoring have made him a beloved figure in New York, and the organization's long-term planning revolves around his prime years. With the surgery scheduled early in the offseason, the expectation is that Brunson will be fully cleared well before the start of the regular season in October.
Sources
https://apnews.com/article/knicks-jalen-brunson-wrist-surgery-9363e424d1fea0500e079137d2a6c038
