As Knicks rumors continue to swirl with the NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, one player who has received some interest for other teams around the league is Mitchell Robinson.
Robinson, who’s coming off of a big performance against the Utah Jazz, has been the subject of trade rumors before.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Detroit Pistons are among the team’s who have shown interest in trading for Robinson and he “has fans” within the organization.
Knicks Rumors: Will Mitchell Robinson be traded?
What he know is that Robinson’s future with the Knicks is uncertain.
Robinson is in a contract year, and while an extension was discussed in the preseason, nothing has come to fruition. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Robinson is certainly one of the team’s better assets.
After coming into the league as a raw prospect, Robinson has taken some big strides as a dominant rebounder and rim runner. Unfortunately for him, a severe injury at the end of last season both put his contract extension on the back burner and has led to some hesitancy on the idea of paying him.
Robinson also had some injury scares early on this season as he struggled to get back to full strength after missing all of training camp.
Now, Robinson has asserted himself as he’s gotten back into game shape.
Is Mitchell Robinson untouchable in a trade?
No, he’s not. In terms of valuable assets that could be replaceable if they’re traded, Robinson may fit that mold more than anyone on the roster.
However…
Unless some sort of all-star caliber player becomes available in a deal, it’s hard to see the Knicks moving on from Robinson ahead of the deadline.
Particularly from a team like the Pistons, I’m not sure what trade makes sense for NY.
Robinson has proven himself to be a force on the interior and is still years from his prime, so he fits their rebuild timeline.
Paying him this offseason is still up in the air, but don’t expect him to be dealt with in the next few days.