Would Knicks fans consider this Malcolm Brogdon trade?
In this scenario, the Knicks would sign Mitchell Robinson to an extension and immediately trade him to Indiana alongside the other pieces in question.
I recently discussed a rumor that the Knicks and Robinson remain pretty far apart in their negotiations and he could very well walk away as an unrestricted free agent.
But if that’s the case, then why was he not traded before this year’s deadline? It’s because the front office must be confident in their ability to either meet Robinson’s demands or get close enough to them where it would make sense for him to stay.
Either that or they feel confident in their ability to sign-and-trade him this summer. This is what brings us to this concept.
I know New York wouldn’t be able to trade Robinson as part of this specific deal and that it would have to technically be broken up into two separate trades, so the Knicks would essentially trade the center for a top-10 protected pick in 2023.
The protection would remain on the pick for three consecutive seasons and if it’s not conveyed by 2026, New York would receive two second-round selections instead.
This would also be assuming that the Knicks would sign Robinson for something in the ballpark of four years, $60 million to make the money work.
Inserting Toppin and Robinson into a starting five that currently has Chris Duarte and Haliburton would be a lot of fun to watch for years to come. This trade goes down assuming the Pacers already have a deal in place for Myles Turner as well.
New York on the other hand would get a veteran point guard who would fit into a Tom Thibodeau-led offense like a glove.
The injury history would be a concern to me but if Brogdon can find a way to stay healthy, the Knicks could very well be a playoff contender again by next year. If no other moves were made, New York would have a lineup of:
Brogdon, Fournier, Barrett, Randle, Noel
Rose, Quickley, Burks, Reddish, Sims
Let’s hope they do make another trade so that Quentin Grimes can find some playing time as well but for a team like the Knicks that desperately needs to consolidate some assets, this is a nice start.