3 Mitchell Robinson replacements Knicks should avoid this offseason

2: Tristan Thompson – Chicago Bulls

While it’d be nice to add an NBA champion to the Knicks’ roster, it doesn’t need to be Tristan Thompson. He signed with Chicago during the buyout market and has a solid shot to win his second ring with the fourth-place Bulls.

Thompson was a buyout candidate for a reason. As recent as 2019-20, he averaged 12 points and 10.1 rebounds per game but he’s bounced around four teams over the past two years.

In the six games that Thompson’s played in thus far for Chicago, he’s averaging 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and is shooting 66.7% from the field.

The 11-year veteran is no longer the same player that he was when Cleveland won a title in 2016. While he still provides some value (or else the Bulls wouldn’t have signed him), he’s not a viable Robinson replacement. It wouldn’t be the worst thing for Sims to learn under Thompson but that’s not New York’s main priority.

The Knicks don’t need another veteran who’s going to fail to produce. New York has a lot of young and exciting talent and at the age of 30, Thompson’s on the downside of his career. He still has some game left in him but isn’t the “starter” that the Knicks should be going after.

I put starter in quotation marks because he’s capable of starting but do I want him to start for New York? Absolutely not.