Mitchell Robinson, already out for the playoffs, underwent a “small procedure” on his left ankle Monday and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks, a league source told The Post.
It was the second surgery to Robinson’s ankle, which was diagnosed with a stress fracture in December.
The center returned in late March but suffered a setback in the playoffs and was pulled after the first half of Game 1 in the Eastern Conference semis.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who lasted played in Game 1 against the Pacers, underwent another ankle surgery. Getty Images
Robinson was said to have suffered a “stress reaction” in his surgically repaired ankle. However, at the time, another surgery was not advised. A source said further consultation between Robinson’s surgeon and Knicks doctors determined the second procedure was “the best course of action.”
It became the latest turn in Robinson’s recovery. Not long after his initial surgery, the Knicks applied for the Disabled Players Exception for Robinson — suggesting his season was over.
But the DPE application was denied and Robinson, an All-Defense candidate until the injury, returned after a 50-game absence.
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He was then a backup to Isaiah Hartenstein and an integral part of beating the Sixers in Round 1, handling much of the defensive duties on Joel Embiid.
But Robinson was re-injured during those battles with Embiid. After Game 3 against the Sixers, he left the arena in a walking boot and missed the following contest.
He returned again but was hobbling through his minutes.
After this season, Robinson has two years and roughly $27 million remaining on his contract. Hartenstein and another Knicks center, Precious Achiuwa, are free agents this summer.
Mitchell Robinson in a boot on the Knicks bench during Game 2 against the Pacers. Charles Wenzelberg/NY PostIf there were any positives from the two Knicks losses in Indiana, it was the re-emergence of Alec Burks as a bench scorer and the rotational flexibility that provides the Knicks.
Theoretically, it could help push Miles McBride into the starting lineup.
McBride had been the only guard off the bench. But if Burks is now reliably providing backcourt minutes, Tom Thibodeau at least has the option of moving Precious Achiuwa from starting power forward to backup center (thereby removing from the rotation Jericho Sims, an athletic prospect who looked shaky Sunday).
Scoring points has been a problem with Achiuwa as the starter. In Game 3, the Knicks starters trailed 20-12 before Achuiwa was subbed out for McBride at the 8-minute mark.
On Sunday, the Knicks were down 21-8 before that same sub.
Thibodeau pivoted to start McBride in the beginning of the second half of Game 4, but it didn’t help.
The Knicks were pummeled from tipoff to final buzzer.
Still, Thibodeau could feel the need to shake up the lineup after consecutive poor starts without OG Anunoby.
Speaking of Anunoby, the forward was officially ruled out of Tuesday’s Game 5 with a strained hamstring.
It will be his third straight missed game and Anunoby didn’t sound close to returning from the last update by Thibodeau, who said his best defensive player is limited to pool work in his recovery.
The Knicks are 26-5 in games Anunoby is in the lineup and just 13-16 when he doesn’t play.
The 26-year-old has the option to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
