NBA Daily Digest: Game 1 Preview, Robinson's Surgery, and Wembanyama's Future

The NBA Finals tip off Wednesday night with the most historically loaded Knicks-Spurs matchup in 27 years — but New York enters without a clear answer on its most important big man. Here's everything that matters heading into Game 1.

The biggest uncertainty hanging over the Knicks is center Mitchell Robinson (New York Knicks, C), who underwent surgery on a fractured fifth metacarpal on his right hand — an injury that reportedly occurred outside of basketball activity. As of Monday, Robinson had returned to individual on-court work, but coach Mike Brown stopped short of saying he'll be available.

"I'm just waiting on the medical staff. He just did individual work today, so I'm waiting on the medical staff to let me know what the next step is," Brown told SNY. 2

Robinson averaged 8.8 rebounds and shot 73.7 percent from the field in these playoffs, finishing fourth in the NBA in offensive rebounding rate (4.2 per game) during the regular season. He's also the only player who hauled down 10 offensive boards against the Spurs this season — doing so in the NBA Cup final. The Knicks beat the Spurs 124-113 in that game. If Robinson plays limited minutes or doesn't play at all, the rebounding burden shifts entirely to Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks, C/PF), who does own a career-high 11.6 rebounds per game this postseason.

The 2026 Finals are a reunion that nobody predicted when the season started. The last time these two franchises met for a title it was 1999 — the Spurs swept New York behind a young Tim Duncan. Now it's Victor Wembanyama's Spurs against Jalen Brunson's Knicks. The players are different, but the dynamic is surprisingly similar: a historically generational Spurs big trying to win a first title, against a Knicks team that last won in 1973.

The key matchup question on both ends is Wembanyama's positioning. San Antonio's strategy this postseason has been to drop Wembanyama back into the paint, using him as a free safety — which opens corner threes for Knicks wings. New York shot 42 percent on corner threes this postseason, the best mark in the league, while San Antonio shot just 32 percent from the same spot. If Josh Hart can hit enough open looks off Wembanyama sag coverage, the Spurs will be forced to change their scheme. 1

Meanwhile, if Wembanyama draws foul trouble against Towns on post-ups — he averaged 6.8 fouls drawn per game this postseason — New York can force rotations that open midrange looks for Brunson. Wembanyama averages 24.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in these playoffs. Brunson averages 26.2 points and 6.8 assists.

The Knicks bring a team-level edge into the series: they outscored Cleveland by 271 points across the Eastern Conference Finals sweep, the largest point differential in Finals history entering a title round. San Antonio needed seven games and a Wembanyama 33-point, 11-rebound performance to get past Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals — Jalen Williams (OKC) was absent for both elimination-round games.

*If necessary

Magic hire Sean Sweeney as head coach. Orlando is moving on from Jamahl Mosley and elevating assistant Sean Sweeney to run the bench. Sweeney spent several seasons as an assistant with the Celtics before joining the Magic staff. The hire comes after Orlando was eliminated in the first round for the second straight season. 3

Suns guarantee Oso Ighodaro's 2026-27 contract. Phoenix locked in the second-year center, who appeared in 52 games this season mostly in a developmental role. 4

Hornets guarantee Moussa Diabate's 2026-27 salary. Charlotte committed to the 6-foot-10 power forward ahead of the guarantee deadline. 5

Wembanyama in line for five-year, $251 million max extension. Per Spotrac via Legion Hoops, the Spurs are expected to offer Wembanyama his rookie max extension this offseason — a deal that could reach $301 million with super-max provisions. Wembanyama led San Antonio to its first Finals since 2014 and won Western Conference Finals MVP. The extension is expected to be signed before training camp opens. 6

Stephen Curry signs 10-year deal with Li-Ning. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Curry has agreed to a decade-long endorsement with the Chinese sportswear company — ending his 13-year run with Under Armour, which parted ways with him last November. The deal expands Curry Brand globally into basketball, casual wear, and golf. The comfort of Li-Ning's fit — specifically the Wade Way shoes worn by his Warriors teammates — was a factor in the decision, per Charania. 7

Rick Adelman passes away at 79. Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman died Monday. Adelman spent 23 seasons as an NBA head coach, most notably in Portland (where he led the 1990 and 1992 Finals teams) and Sacramento (where he built the early-2000s Kings teams that nearly ended the Lakers' dynasty). He won 1,042 games, fifth most in NBA history. 8