Overview
- Robinson is out for left-ankle injury management, with Brown indicating his workload will be managed throughout the season to preserve playoff availability.
- Hart is sidelined by lumbar spasms stemming from a preseason fall, and Brown said the team will be cautious as he progresses through individual work.
- Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable with a right quad strain and has acknowledged he is still figuring out his role in Brown's faster, movement-heavy offense.
- New York is expected to lean on depth in the short term, with reporting pointing to Ariel Hukporti as a center option and rotation minutes for Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet.
- Hart also had offseason finger surgery and will wear a splint this season, while Cleveland is set to be without Darius Garland and Max Strus, according to team and media reports.