Fielding a team capable of contending on a consistent basis is difficult in today’s NBA. With the luxury tax and apron rules limiting flexibility, the Knicks are facing limited paths to make roster upgrades.
After agreeing to deals with guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Guerschon Yabusele in free agency, New York’s roster is beginning to crystallize. Another way for the Knicks to improve the roster is through a trade. A name that has been floated as a potential trade candidate is center Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks should think twice about dealing Robinson. The center has proven to be a valuable piece to New York’s hopes for title contention.
Entering the last year of a four-year, $60 million dollar deal, Robinson has an attractive contract, with him earning just under $13 million this coming season. He is arguably the best offensive rebounder in the NBA. He’s led all players in offensive rebound rate in two of the last three postseasons. One of the top directives of an opponent’s game plan is to keep Robinson off the offensive glass.
On defense, he’s the team’s only true rim protector. Robinson led the team in blocks per 36 minutes (2.2) during the postseason. Teams avoid shooting in the paint when he’s on the floor, and he’s also improved on his penchant for wild gambles to block shots.
Playoff surprise
Going into the playoffs, the Knicks didn’t know what they were going to get out of Robinson. He saw limited minutes during the regular season due to injury and did not play back-to-backs.
Robinson turned out to be crucial to New York’s second round upset of the Boston Celtics. He averaged a modest 4.7 points and 8.0 rebounds during the series. But in his 124 minutes on the floor, the Knicks were a plus-18.1 points per 100 possessions. When Robinson sat, New York was outscored by 11.9 points per 100 possessions.
New York’s secret weapon in the postseason was jumbo lineups with Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson on the floor together. After playing just 47 minutes together during the regular season, the big man duo was on the floor at the same time for 165 minutes. When the two centers played together, the Knicks were a problem for opponents. With Towns and Robinson on the floor, the Knicks outscored teams by 8.3 points per 100 possessions, according to PBP Stats.
We saw the Minnesota Timberwolves piece together a contender by playing Towns as a power forward with Rudy Gobert, and the Knicks have found similar success with Robinson, advancing to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. As long as Towns is on the roster, having Robinson is a necessity.
It allows the Knicks the flexibility to play lineups with more space on the floor when Towns is at center, but also have the more defensive-focused lineups with Robinson playing alongside Towns.
The Knicks are still in pursuit of a new head coach to replace Tom Thibodeau. Former Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown interviewed for a second time, while the Knicks have also interviewed James Borrego, Taylor Jenkins, and Micah Nori. A new head coach could open up more opportunities to utilize Robinson’s length and athleticism as a lob threat.
Despite all the positives Robinson has shown, injuries will always be a major question for the seven-footer. Robinson has missed 139 regular season games over the last three seasons, and has had two procedures on his left ankle in less than two years. Free-throws are also a concern. A career 52.2 percent foul shooter, Robinson’s ineptitude at the line became a storyline in the postseason as the opposition opted to intentionally foul him on a regular basis.
Robinson can enter free agency in the summer of 2026. It would make sense to see how Robinson’s body holds up during the course of a full NBA season before offering him a new contract. But as long as the Knicks keep their current core together, Robinson should be a permanent fixture.
