NBA 2026/27: 69 Injured Players – How the League Is Under Pressure

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents NBA 2026/27: 69 Injured Players – How the League Is Under Pressure.

The NBA’s 2026/27 season has only just begun, but the mood is already marked by concern: 69 of the 450 players were absent during the first week and a half or so of the calendar. That amounts to 15.3 percent of all players. For the New York Knicks, who were considered one of the strongest teams before the season began, it means considerably more than an unlucky start.

The injuries are not only affecting the stars, but also teams that were already relying heavily on their players deep in their rosters. Several teams are missing multiple key options at once. The NBA is familiar with such setbacks, but this time the number of absences is so high that it is not easy for the league to explain.

Which Stars and Key Players Are Affected by the Injury Wave

Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder was the first to be hit. On September 28, he dislocated his left ankle and fractured his tibia. Not long afterward, the Thunder suffered further absences: Cason Wallace suffered a shoulder tear.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was absent with a hamstring strain. The Orlando Magic had to do without Paolo Banchero, who has a grade-three ankle sprain, and Jalen Suggs, who has a bone bruise. Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard is affected by inflammation in his left knee.

Other affected players include Jaren Jackson of the Utah Jazz with a lateral meniscus tear, Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons with a hamstring strain, Ben Simmons of the Sacramento Kings with a ruptured Achilles tendon and Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had to undergo arthroscopic surgery because of knee problems.

The list of affected players is therefore not yet complete. ABC.es also names Jusuf Nurkić with a plantar plate tear and Brandon Ingram with a partial Achilles tendon tear. The mix of injuries to knees, ankles, shoulders and tendons underscores that the league is not only hitting individual stars, but several positions in the lineup at the same time.

What the 69 Absences Mean for the NBA and the Affected Teams

The 15.3 percent absence rate is the clearest evidence of the scale of the crisis. It means that almost every sixth player was unavailable on the opening game days. For the teams, that often means changes to the rotation, fewer options in the crucial phase and additional strain on the remaining players.

R. J. Barrett of the Toronto Raptors tried to ease the situation. He said injuries are part of the game and every roster eventually has to make do. That assessment may sound reassuring, but it conflicts with the simple fact that 69 players were unavailable.

This creates a dual challenge for the teams. On the one hand, they must adapt their roster planning at short notice and redistribute roles. On the other hand, it remains unclear how long the absences will last. A player with a knee or cruciate ligament injury, a shoulder injury or a ruptured Achilles tendon is not available in the short term. Until the injured players return, the rest of the roster must fill the gap.

How the 2026/27 Season Is Under Pressure

It is particularly striking that, based on the first impressions, the injury wave has affected not only individual rosters, but several competing teams and multiple leading players at the same time. Jalen Williams and Wallace are absent for Oklahoma City, Haliburton for Indiana, Banchero and Suggs for Orlando, Leonard for Toronto and Edwards for Minnesota. As a result, the rosters of teams projected as possible Knicks contenders have also been weakened.

The course of the rest of the season remains decisive. The injuries listed differ significantly in severity: A strain can keep a player out in the short term, while a cruciate ligament tear or arthroscopic operation makes a longer absence more likely. The league therefore has to deal not only with the current number of absences, but also with the fact that the days lost will accumulate over the course of the season.

Conclusion: The NBA Needs Available Players in the Phases Ahead

The NBA’s 2026/27 injury wave is too large to dismiss as harmless early-season fluctuation. 69 absences among 450 players in just one and a half weeks show how many teams must rebuild their plans. The affected players are currently unavailable to the rotations.

For Knicks fans and supporters of other top rosters, that means the great expectations ahead of the season are already being tempered by injuries. Whether the teams will overcome the crisis or the absences will persist into the decisive phases of the season remains to be seen. One thing is certain: While the injured players recover, the remaining forces must now deliver.