Knicks Lose Rokas Jokubaitis to Knee Injury, Surgery Expected

The New York Knicks are positioned as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference for the 2025-26 NBA season, bolstered by key offseason moves including hiring coach Mike Brown, signing bench players Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, and securing Mikal Bridges with a long-term extension. Power rankings from USA Today and other analysts rank them as the highest team in the East, with expectations that they could finally end their championship drought dating back to 1973 if everything goes well. However, the team faces a significant setback with the serious ACL and meniscus injury to Rokas Jokubaitis, a promising guard who was showing breakout performance in EuroBasket but will be sidelined for at least six months. Despite the injury, the Knicks' strong starting lineup featuring Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns remains a major strength, although the team's salary cap situation is tight due to heavy investments in its core players, which could limit future flexibility. The Eastern Conference landscape has also been affected by injuries to other contenders like Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, potentially giving the Knicks an open window to dominate. Overall, the Knicks have high aspirations but will need to navigate depth challenges and salary cap constraints to capitalize on their promising position this season.