Knicks' Jalen Brunson Has Surgery on Hand Injury, Will Be Reevaluated in 6-8 Weeks

The New York Knicks announced Wednesday that All-Star guard Jalen Brunson underwent surgery on his left hand this week following the team's loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series Sunday.

The Knicks said that the surgery was successful, and Brunson will be reevaluated in six to eight weeks.

Brunson fractured his left hand during the third quarter of the Knicks' 130-109 Game 7 loss to Indiana, and he was unable to return. It was another major blow to a team that was already without several key players, including OG Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks also announced Wednesday that forward Bojan Bogdanović underwent successful surgery on his left wrist, and he too will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.

While Brunson put up modest numbers over his first four NBA seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, he has blossomed into a true superstar since signing with the Knicks in free agency prior to the 2022-23 season.

The 27-year-old guard broke out in a big way last season, averaging 24.0 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He finished 12th in the NBA MVP voting and third in the NBA Most Improved Player voting, and helped New York reach the second round of the playoffs.

Brunson managed to level up his game even more this season, averaging a career-high 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per contest en route to his first All-Star selection and a fifth-place finish in the MVP voting.

He also averaged 32.4 points per game during the postseason, and with Brunson playing at an elite level, the Knicks were favored to beat the Pacers and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

However, injuries mounted for the Knicks, leaving the likes of Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart to play huge minutes.

New York seemed exhausted by the time Game 7 against Indiana rolled around, and any chance the Knicks had of persevering and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals seemingly evaporated when Brunson fractured his hand.

While the Knicks' season ended in disappointing fashion, Brunson now has an entire offseason ahead of him to heal up and get healthy for the 2024-25 campaign.

Brunson, Randle, DiVincenzo, Hart and Robinson are all under contract for next season, and it seems likely that the Knicks will go to great lengths to re-sign Anunoby as well.

The Knicks looked as good as any team in the league when healthy this season, so if they can return a similar roster next season and remain healthy, they have the makings of a championship contender.