Should Knicks replace Mitchell Robinson with this Nets center?

The New York Knicks are expected to have a busy offseason but part of that includes either re-signing Mitchell Robinson or signing his replacement. The 23-year-old was picked by New York in the second round of the 2018 draft and next year he could be suiting up for a new team.

Because the Knicks didn’t trade him ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, there’s a chance that he could walk this summer and leave New York with nothing in return. That’d be the worst-case scenario for the team but it isn’t out of the question.

Robinson has yet to sign a contract extension but that option isn’t off the table (at least until Jun. 30), although the center could be asking for more money than the Knicks are willing to pay.

With Julius Randle’s recent four-year, $117 million contract extension, the front office has to be careful with how money is spent. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of the situation.

Let me preface this by saying that New York needs to do what it can to keep Robinson. The center’s become an integral part of the team and is averaging 8.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in the 58 games (including a career-high 49 starts) that he’s played in.

If Mitchell Robinson walks the New York Knicks should sign Nic Claxton

Hear me out. Nic Claxton is 22-years-old (soon to be 23 in April) and like Robinson, was drafted in the second round. However, Claxton was picked in 2019 and has spent his first three years in the league with the Nets.

Before the trade deadline, Brooklyn attempted to trade Claxton to Toronto but clearly, that fell through. He’s set to become a restricted free agent during the offseason.

It’s almost certain that the product out of the University of Georgia is going to walk away from the Nets this summer. However, he might not have to go too far if the Knicks can’t find a way to attain Robinson.

The plus for Claxton is that he’ll get to keep his apartment but the plus for New York would be that it’d be getting a huge steal for less money than it’d cost to keep Robinson.

Claxton’s health has been an issue during his time in Brooklyn and although he’s played in 30 total games this season, he’s having his best year. He’s averaging 8.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks per game, and is shooting 64.1% from the field.

He sat out for the first 17 games of the 2021-22 season due to a non-COVID illness but since the deadline, he’s played in a total of five games. The Nets didn’t plan to keep Claxton beyond mid-February and Steve Nash’s unwillingness to play him makes that painfully obvious.

Claxton can finish and block at the rim and can guard the perimeter but in order to elevate his game, he needs to develop a jump shot. It’s clear that he can dunk, though.

Out of the 141 shots that Claxton’s attempted from less than five feet of the goal, he’s made 105 of them (74.5%). He’s 3-of-25 (12%) from shots five-to-nine feet away from the rim and is 1-of-4 (25%) from 10-to-14 feet. Beyond that range, Claxton hasn’t taken a single shot. That’s going to need to change.

Claxton’s at the tail end of his three-year, $4.2 million contract and would cost considerably less than Robinson. Once again, I’m not saying that he’s a better option than Robinson but he wouldn’t be a shabby replacement.

And if Claxton can build up his strength and start knocking down shots outside of the five foot range, he’s going to be a threat.

According to Bleacher Report, Robinson could sign a five-year deal worth up to $55 million. Yet as the author Erin Walsh noted, it’d be in his best interest to meet with other teams in free agency.

If Knicks fans’ worst nightmares come true and Robinson signs elsewhere, don’t sleep on the value that Claxton would bring to Madison Square Garden. He could be the next big thing for New York and how glorious it’d be to get to hang Claxton over Brooklyn’s head.

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